A Silent Song
by hlnwst
Summary: AU. Brittany is a star at the William McKinley Music and Performing Arts Academy. When a new student starts at the school, Brittany finds herself completely captivated by the mystery of Santana Lopez and she's going to do whatever it takes to get to know her.
1. Introduction

**A/N: So I know the LAST thing I should be doing is starting another fic, but my mind wouldn't let this one go. Lol, well if I'm being honest, this and two other new ideas. If people like it, I'll continue with it, but my focus will still be on my other two fics :)**

**Onward and up!**

**-H**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee :(**

* * *

**Introduction**

Brittany stretched in the wings of the stage as she listened to her fellow students filing into the huge auditorium. The hum of conversation washed over her as she honed her focus on the performance she was about to give.

"Morning, Brittany."

She glanced up and smiled at Will Schuester, the director of the William McKinley Music and Performing Arts Academy.

"Good morning, Will." For some reason, he insisted on being called by his first name. Brittany thought it was a little weird, but he did wear vests every single day.

"I know this is only your first performance of the year, but your senior showcase is probably the most highly anticipated one that we've ever had in the six years we've been operational," Will said with a grin.

"Thanks, but I haven't even started thinking about the winter showcase, never mind the final showcase yet. Classes only started this week and I'm just trying to find my feet again."

"Still recovering from your summer on Broadway?"

Brittany grinned widely. "It was exhilarating. I really can't thank you and Mike enough for your recommendations. I absolutely know that I want to be on a stage for as long as my body will allow me to be."

"Trust me, Brittany, the pleasure was definitely ours. Your talent is so big and you're so eager to share it with the world that far be it from us to deny you and the world that amazing opportunity. Besides, you were headhunted. Mike and I had very little to do with your selection."

This tidbit simply widened Brittany's smile. She knew she was good and she knew she was incredibly lucky to have been afforded the opportunities that she had. Her parents had supported her desire to dance from an extremely young age, sending her to whichever class she wanted to go to. When the rumour mill hit that millionaire Will Schuester was going to open a performing arts school in Lima, Brittany knew that she _had_ to go there. She was only twelve at that stage so high school was still a few years off, but she'd already looked at applying to other PA schools across the country. She wanted to be a dancer. That was all that mattered.

"Ah, Santana!"

Brittany was brought back to reality by Will's excited voice.

"Once again, I cannot express how happy I am that you agreed to come here," Will gushed.

_Wow, this new student must be an August Rush type or something_, Brittany mused, continuing with her stretches.

Will definitely had an eye for talent, but he rarely went out of his way to recruit people. The school had garnered enough prestige over the years to be a top contender amongst the best performing arts schools in America. So this Santana must be pretty special.

"Brittany, I'd like for you to meet someone."

She had been over the bar stretching her hamstrings and looked up at the request. She lost her footing, but managed to quickly set herself upright. With the help of someone gripping her arm.

She swallowed the sudden lump in her throat as her eyes met deep, dark ones. Her heart started racing. There was something about those eyes…

"Oh my word, are you all right, Brittany?" Will asked in alarm.

She couldn't tear her gaze away from the captivating brown orbs in front of her. "Um, fine," she mumbled, almost inaudibly.

_Wow_.

"Brittany, this is Santana Lopez. She's joining us as a junior this year from Colorado."

"H-h-hi," she stammered.

_This is embarrassing._

She stood up straight and Santana let go of her arm. It had been a gentle grip, but Brittany had felt like she was almost holding her up.

_What the hell?_

"Hi," she said more confidently, a small smile crossing her face. She held out her hand. "Brittany Pierce."

Santana just shook the outstretched hand and smiled awkwardly, not saying anything. Her dark hair swished around as Santana turned to look at Will uncertainly.

"Oh, of course, how utterly rude of me," Will said, stepping forward. "Miss Lopez here is unab-"

He was cut off by Sue Sylvester's voice echoing across the auditorium. She was using her megaphone again.

Will frowned. "I told her to stop using that damn thing."

Brittany's eyes stayed on Santana and she realised that she'd been holding her hand the whole time. She dropped it quickly. "Oh, uh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…" She kicked herself as her voice trailed off. What the hell was wrong with her? She was always confident because she always knew what she wanted. It was no secret that Brittany enjoyed the company of both men and women, but no one, not even the director of the Broadway show she'd been in, had ever rendered her _this_ awestruck before.

Santana was looking down shyly, her feet fidgeting slightly on the floor. She was small, but then again, she was only sixteen. She looked up suddenly and Brittany felt that lump in her throat again, complete with the rapid heartbeat.

_Wow._

This girl was completely beautiful. Not necessarily sexy or hot or gorgeous or smokin', but _beautiful_. In every classic sense of the word. Brittany felt like she defined the word. Nothing in the world was more beautiful than the girl in front of her. And those eyes…

They seemed like they held the secrets to the world, the good, the bad, the romantic, the heartbreaking. Brittany was utterly captivated.

"You're beautiful," she finally breathed.

Santana's shy smile intensified and her head dropped again. She spun a little on her heel and went to stand next to the side curtain. Brittany didn't miss how her hands gripped the material tightly and how she all but hid her face behind the black drapes as she watched Will and Sue have it out on stage.

On stage. Shit! She was about to do a performance and she suddenly couldn't think of anything other than the girl in front of her. Brittany took a step back and put her hands on the bar, closing her eyes and taking deep breaths.

_Ok, concentrate. It's the piano and you. An expression of ballet and interpretive. You worked on this all week, Britt. Come on. The school knows you. They know what you're capable of. Don't disappoint._

Right.

She opened her eyes and felt that familiar focus. This was her domain. This was where she excelled.

She smiled and nodded to herself.

"Pierce!"

Brittany flinched suddenly as Sue Sylvester came storming off stage.

"Hi, Ms. S," she said, forcing a smile onto her face. She really didn't like Sue. It kinda sucked that she was the _best_ conductor in the Midwest. She'd sourced talented musicians from all over the country to build up the most amazing orchestra. They were actually famous. They'd been invited to perform at Madison Square Gardens, for the President and they'd been on TV numerous times.

Not surprising, really. Sue demanded only the best and she got it. She had a knack for drawing out everything each musician had to offer, regardless of her somewhat unorthodox methods. Brittany's mind briefly flashed to Jimmy Jenkins (yes, that was really his name – his parents must've been high or something when they named him) being strung up in a thong on the flagpole at the front of the school. All because he'd forgotten to properly tune the G-string of his violin. Sue had felt that his punishment would forever remind him the importance of a G-string.

"The moron on stage who somehow managed to convince sweater monkeys to throw up in his hair has informed me that you're doing a piece to _The Heart Asks Pleasure First_?"

"Yes, I am. It's a combination ballet and interpretive piece," Brittany replied.

"Well, firstly, Michael Nyman is a dear friend of mine, so I expect nothing less than perfection from your tribute to him. Secondly, clearly the copious amounts of elephant sperm that he puts on his head has created some kind of brain defect because Harriet is not at school today. Something about man flu, I don't care. I was looking for a reason to kick her out. She was holding the rest of the orchestra back. Her piano skills are mundane at best."

Brittany's eyes widened. "Wait, what? We rehearsed this last week. I don't have any music prepared for the AV crew."

_Shit!_

"Blame ye old idiot over there," Sue replied, walking backstage.

"Fuck!" Brittany hissed, closing her eyes in exasperation.

_Ok, this isn't a disaster. You've danced without music before. It's all about the emotion. You can sell that without music. Yes. That's what will have to happen. You got this, Britt. Just dance. Yeah. Just dance._

"Settle down, please!" she heard Will call out.

Immediately silence engulfed the auditorium. Brittany smiled. Performers knew that silence was a sign of respect. Respect given is respect earned. It was Will's life motto and a mantra that he had impressed on the school body from day one.

"We have two very exciting things on the agenda this morning," Will continued. "As I'm sure you're aware, Brittany Pierce has returned to us for her senior year after a very successful summer on Broadway."

The audience erupted into enthusiastic applause and Brittany grinned. She loved that feeling of adoration, but never let it get to her head. Her parents would slap her silly if she ever did.

"In a bit, she will be performing a short piece that she's been working on in preparation for her highly anticipated winter showcase. But first, I have the utmost pleasure in introducing an amazing new talent to this school. Santana Lopez is, without mincing any words, a prodigy. She's been playing the piano since age four and has been composing her own music since age nine."

_Wow. Double wow._

Brittany kinda loved that Santana was awesome inside and out. She found herself incredibly excited to hear one of her compositions.

"Santana has a photographic memory and can play any piece of music after one simple glance. Now, I know that many of us wish that we had that luxury, but what makes Santana truly remarkable is that she composed an entire symphony, at the age of thirteen, in two simple weeks."

Brittany's mouth dropped. She spent most of her time in the dancing wing and didn't really know much about music and composition and all of that, but hearing Kurt and Quinn talk about it gave her enough know how to realise that writing a complete symphony in two weeks was incredible. And pretty much unheard of.

"She prefers the piano above all instruments, but is an expert on violin, cello, flute, clarinet and…" he paused dramatically, "…the triangle."

The audience laughed and Brittany smiled, her gaze fixing on Santana, who had all but buried herself behind the side curtain.

_It's too adorable how shy she is._

"Now, I know you're all wondering why I'm the one out here praising Santana's musical genius, and she's given me permission to divulge this bit of personal information." He paused and glanced to where Brittany was standing and Santana was still hidden. "Santana is mute."

Brittany's mouth dropped open. No way. How cruel could the world be? Someone with _that_ amount of musical ability would surely have an _amazing_ voice, completely melodic and musical and lovely and sweet and-

_Easy on the love there._

Brittany frowned and shook her head. It just didn't seem fair. And she was entirely disappointed that she wasn't going to hear Santana. Ever. She just _looked_ like she would have a gorgeous voice. Maybe not even that melodic. Maybe it would be a little rougher, a little more raw. Like Amy Winehouse or something. Brittany smiled at that. Nah, she looked too sweet and innocent for someone like Amy Winehouse. Maybe more Katy Perry.

_Hardly less innocent._

"Students, please give a warm McKinley welcome to Santana Lopez!" Will announced, gesturing to where Santana was suddenly not hiding anymore and walking across the stage confidently.

"Like chalk and cheese," Brittany muttered in amazement.

"Santana, I wonder if we might entice you to play something of your creation?" Will asked.

Brittany moved right to the edge of the curtain so that she could get as close as possible without being seen by the audience. She was dying to hear anything that Santana had created.

The audience cheered as Santana smiled and moved to the grand piano that was always on the stage. Brittany held her breath as soft notes started to stream from the open lid. She watched Santana's face as she played and she didn't think she'd ever seen anyone look so utterly at peace. The composition was beyond amazing. The tempo picked up, but the notes were still so soft and delicate. Brittany didn't how Santana was able to do that, but she simply became more and more impressed with the mysterious new student.

Something stirred in her soul. It felt like something was awakening inside her. She had the sudden urge to fly onto stage and simply dance. But she held back. Sure, she had a connection to music. She was a dancer, after all, and sometimes her dancing was an expression for her love for music. More than anything, it was an expression of herself, though.

But this music, _Santana's_ music, was…it felt right. It felt like it matched her.

_This is crazy._

She'd only met Santana like five minutes before and not even really met because Santana couldn't reciprocate her greeting.

Shit, that sounded mean. Sure, she was disappointed that Santana couldn't speak, but that didn't mean that Brittany wasn't intrigued to get to know her better. It didn't matter that they were in completely different programmes and on opposite ends of the campus, Brittany was determined to get to know Santana Lopez.

The music suddenly stopped and Brittany's eyes focused back on the brunette behind the piano. She smiled brightly at the audience who had absolutely erupted into applause. Brittany had to join in, but she felt like it deserved so much more than simple applause. It needed to be lauded and framed in gold and played in space so that the entire universe could hear how amazing Santana Lopez was.

"Well, Santana, I'm pretty sure we can expect great things from you at McKinley," Will said proudly. "And now, as I mentioned, Brittany's waiting back stage to give us her first performance of the new school year. Brittany Pierce!"

Brittany suddenly felt nervous. How in the hell was she supposed to follow _that_? And without any music, no less? She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for two seconds, running through her routine in her head at super speed before she gracefully danced onto the stage.

She immediately registered the familiar opening notes of _The Heart Asks Pleasure First_ and blinked in surprise. She didn't look at the piano, though. She knew that Santana was playing. And it had never sounded better. Harriet was good, but Santana seemed to add a magical quality to the already beautiful piece of music.

Brittany spun around, her eyes resting on Santana briefly as she did so. Their eyes met and a connection unlike any other that Brittany had ever experienced lodged itself in her chest. There was no way in hell that she couldn't know Santana Lopez.

As Brittany moved effortlessly through her routine to Santana's playing, she felt that her dancing had never felt so free before. Sure, she practised enough times to do routines in her sleep, but what she was doing now…it felt like she was on another level, almost like she was simply in her body and Santana's music was moving her. It was scary as hell for the control freak dancer and, at the same time, the most incredibly freeing feeling she'd ever experienced.

Santana played the final notes as Brittany completed her routine, ending in a vertical leg split, her left leg slowly coming down with complete control and grace until she had both feet on the ground. The last note echoed around the auditorium just as Brittany's bare toe touched the ground.

She was breathing heavily, and she was almost sure it wasn't even from the physical dancing, but the emotion that had gone into every movement. She glanced at Santana, who was looking at her curiously. Those deep orbs threatened to engulf Brittany again until thunderous applause shook her from her gaze.

She stepped forward, curtsied a few times, blew kisses and exited the stage. She sat on the floor next to the bar and rested her back against the cold metal.

Her emotions were all over the place. She wasn't even entirely sure of what she was feeling, but whatever it was, it was incredibly intense and it was all because of Santana Lopez.

Brittany had to know this girl. She felt like her sanity depended on it.

* * *

**A/N: So there we go. This is only an intro, like a prologue, so it's much shorter than what I plan for the actual chapters to be.**

**Would love to hear what you guys think? This will be from Brittany's point of view most of time, but as we get to know Santana, I may switch things up :)**

**Also, I did music way back in high school so forgive me if my knowledge is a little rusty. I am checking my facts though ;p**

**Oh, the piece of music that Britt dances to and Santana plays is **_**The Heart Asks Pleasure First**_**, composed by Michael Nyman and featured in the film **_**The Piano**_**. Truly one of the best pieces of music in a film, in my opinion. So emotional…**

**Cover art? PM me ;)**

**-H**


	2. Evaluation for a brown eyed girl

**A/N: Wow, you guys are so awesome :) I really appreciate the love for this story! Hope you enjoy the next installment :D**

**Onward and up!**

**-H**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee :(**

* * *

**CHAPTER 2: Evaluation of a brown eyed girl**

Brittany took a deep breath as she submerged her body and swam the length of the pool underwater. Her lungs were protesting, but not burning when she reached the other side and she broke the surface, taking a slow breath.

She loved swimming in the mornings before school. Originally, her dance instructor during middle school had encouraged it to improve her breathing techniques and while it had done that, the blonde had found a kind of therapy in doing laps every morning. If she missed a session in the pool, her day felt off kilter.

"Boo, don't dwell!" her father called as he passed by the hall, his voice echoing off the walls. Yeah, so she had an indoor pool. Her parents were loaded. Her dad had invented an app like six years ago, right at the beginning of the whole smartphone craze and it had taken off. They weren't snobs, though, which Brittany was grateful for. Their instant wealth had allowed Brittany to achieve her dream of dancing.

"Morning, Britt!" Victoria Pierce called with a smile.

"Hi, Mom!" Brittany called back. Sometimes she wished her house wasn't so big. It felt like they were always shouting to each other.

She ignored the stairs and pushed herself out of the pool, grabbing the towel she'd left hanging over the recliner.

"Damn, Pierce, you can come and clean my pool any day."

Brittany rolled her eyes and didn't bother covering up her body. Unfortunately, he'd seen her in less.

"Honestly, Puck, do you have _any_ original lines? Or, oh, anything _nice_ to say?"

Noah Puckerman snorted and leaned against the glass doors that separated the pool house from the long hallway.

"Just appreciating what the good Lord blessed you with, Britt," he chuckled.

Brittany physically shuddered at the eerie feeling of Puck devouring the naked expanse of her body. She didn't even have to look at him to know that he was raping her with his eyes.

_Ugh, out of everything in my life, I regret that one night I drank those fifteen tequilas._

She'd definitely lost her judgement that night. Not only did she sleep with Puck, she slept with Puck _and_ Quinn. At the same time. Bad things happen with tequila. Brittany hadn't had a drop of the golden liquid since.

"Why are you here?" Brittany eventually snapped. She wasn't in the mood for his crass games.

Puck shrugged. "My dad was out early so I figured I'd come and see my favourite dancing girl."

"God, it astounds me how your girlfriend actually stays with you."

She jogged up at the stairs to her bedroom and immediately turned on her stereo, the pumping bass slowly working through her tired muscles from her morning swim. It was a good kind of exhausting, though. Brittany liked feeling as though she'd really worked out. She let her body automatically move to the fast beat as she pulled off her bikini and started the shower in her large en suite. Her bedroom was a sanctuary to her. Other than the dance studio at school, it was her favourite place. It was large, her bed against the one wall with her closet next to it. Her dressing table was in her bathroom, leaving a huge open area for Brittany to do what she loved. A few mirrors hung from the wall opposite her bed, giving her different views of herself when she danced.

Her body constantly needed to move. Idleness was not something she was used to. She also knew that her showcase was going to have to incorporate something that showed an ability to control that energy. Her little performance at the beginning of the semester had been a little taste of what she planned to seriously work on that year. Most of her life had revolved around hip hop and modern because she just loved how she could manipulate her body to the different beats. She'd branched out into contemporary and a few classical types when she'd started at McKinley, due to her History of Dance class. She'd become a little obsessed with how people had expressed themselves through dance throughout history.

Her senior year was about control and about expanding her repertoire. If any dance school or show was going to take her seriously, she needed to be versatile. She needed to showcase her ability to change from one genre to the next in the blink of an eye. She'd been happy with her choreography for her assembly performance, but she knew she had a lot of work to do before the winter showcase, and even more work before her final showcase.

Mike, her dance teacher, was excited to see her branch out because he believed that she was a dancer who could really make it. As Brittany dried her hair, she thought once more about where she'd like to go after McKinley. Obviously the dream would be Juilliard. That was the crème de la crème. She'd had a small part on Broadway over the summer and it had been exhilarating. So the stage was definitely an option.

But then there was LA. The potential to be on TV shows or in movies or in music videos. The chances to grow were a lot more lucrative in LA than in New York.

Brittany suddenly huffed. "Get through the first month eval and the we'll talk post-graduation," she muttered to her reflection, her voice completely drowned out by the sound of her hairdryer. She closed her eyes and started humming incoherently, feeling the heat running through her hair.

It didn't take long for her incoherent humming to alter to the soft melody played at that first assembly. Brittany smiled as she remembered how Santana's music had affected her. She'd been dancing for a big part of her life and music had always affected her. But nothing had enveloped her soul quite like Santana Lopez. Well, Santana Lopez and her music.

Brittany opened her eyes and caught the slight blush to her cheeks. She wasn't naïve enough to simply blame it on the hairdryer.

* * *

"Hey, slut."

"Whadup, bitch."

Brittany grinned at Quinn Fabray, who smirked and slapped her ass as she walked passed.

"Have a good weekend?" Brittany asked.

"Average," Quinn replied with a groan. "Everyone's being all student-y and shit."

Brittany giggled. "Fourth week, Q. First evaluations are coming up."

"Whatevs," she brushed off.

"Hey, just because _you_ are going to ace your senior year, take pity on the rest of our poor souls."

"As if you're going to be anything short of brilliant, Britt," Quinn replied, rolling her eyes.

"Ladies," Kurt Hummel greeted as he breezed past.

"Lady," Brittany and Quinn responded.

"It feels like we've been here longer than a month, doesn't it?" Brittany mused as she and Quinn made their way to the first of their academic classes.

McKinley made sure that the students got a well rounded education. Morning classes consisted of the standard academic classes that they would take if they attended a normal high school. After lunch, the students broke off into their respective majors. The first hour after lunch dealt with theory components linked to whatever their major was. Brittany studied Kineseology, History of Dance and did a choreography class with her instructor, Mike. The rest of the afternoon was spent practising and honing their craft. This was Brittany's favourite part of the day. For four hours (at least), she would dance to anything and everything unless Mike wanted her to work on something specific.

Quinn was a double major. Singing and dancing. She was one of the overachievers who didn't even have to try hard to excel. She was naturally clever and had an amazing presence on stage, whether she was moving her body in a choreographed routine or owning the mic like a superstar.

"I sometimes find it hard to believe that we're seniors," Quinn replied as they headed to Science.

"We're all growed up, Q."

Quinn smirked. "Speak for yourself, Britt. I ain't ready to be a big girl just yet."

"Hey, babe," a deep voice greeted as they entered the lab in the north wing of the school.

"Not your babe, Puckerman," Quinn said breezily, walking past him. "Haven't been since sophomore year, thank fuck."

Brittany grinned and sent her neighbour a pointed look. No matter how many times she and Quinn shot him down, he kept persevering. It was like he was under the delusion that hard work would pay off. Almost two years later, Brittany was astounded that he hadn't taken the very obvious hint. Plus, he had a girlfriend. Britt and Quinn were a trouble as a pair, but they never got involved with couples.

Brittany watched as Puck rolled his eyes and walked in after Quinn, his eyes fixated on her ass and she shook her head. She glanced down the hall and a smile flew onto her face at the sight of the most beautiful girl worming her way through the early morning crowd. She had a pair of earphones in and a faraway look on her face. Brittany could only imagine the wondrous music that her mind was creating and she found herself staring at Santana until she disappeared into a classroom a few doors down.

"What's up with you?" Quinn asked with an arched eyebrow as Brittany sat down next to her a few moments later.

Brittany sighed dramatically. "Honest answer, Q. Do you believe in love at first sight?"

"I do," Puck chimed in, swivelling in his chair and grinning.

"Fuck off, Puck," Brittany snapped, glaring at him.

He actually looked hurt, but turned back to the front of the classroom. Quinn's eyebrow was still raised.

"Is this rhetorical?" she asked.

_Is it?_

Brittany shrugged. "I'm not sure yet."

Used to her cryptic answers, Quinn sighed and glanced around the room. "It's no one in here, right?"

Brittany shook her head vigorously.

"Oh, thank God. I would've been forced to shake the 'what the fuck' out of you. So, give me a hint."

"She's a junior," Brittany evasively.

"Oh my God, seriously?" Quinn said, her eyes flashing with mischief. "Santana Lopez?"

Brittany flushed and found some very intricate patterns on their table to focus on.

"That chick is so fine," Puck commented, turning around again. "I bet I could make her scream."

The next five seconds were a blur, but it ended with Puck on the floor and Brittany punching any part of him she could find.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she yelled.

She eventually found herself being pulled off him. It took two guys to restrain her – hey, she was a dancer. She was crazy strong. Quinn was looking at her with mild amusement.

"In answer to your question, even if I didn't believe in it, it's clear that you're crazy about her."

* * *

"Brittany, I have to say that I was sure I'd been informed incorrectly," Will Schuester said with a frown on his face. "I thought _there's no way they could talking about Brittany Pierce_. What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that he's an asshole," Brittany snapped, glaring at Puck, who looked quite comfortable in the other chair. "He gets away with degrading women all the time and I got sick of it."

Will opened his mouth, but Brittany was on a roll.

"Why is there a double standard? Boys can say and do who and what they want and no one bats an eyelid because they're _boys_. But if a girl sleeps with two or three guys, she's labelled a slut and heaven forbid that she should find the company of girls _infinitely_ more appealing than the boys we're forced to co-exist with." Her last comment was not-so-subtly aimed at Puck, who looked unfazed.

"Well, Brittany, you know that we have a zero tolerance policy on bullying, especially homophobia-"

"He's just an ass," Brittany mumbled, folding her arms across her chest.

"Noah, this isn't the first time I've heard you in the ladies' bad books for your behaviour," Will said.

Brittany's jaw dropped. _The ladies' bad books? Seriously? Is he stuck in the frigging twelfth century?_

"Perhaps you should consider what you say before you open your mouth," Will continued, looking irritatingly contemplative. Brittany had the urge to smack him.

"Sure thing, Will," Puck said with practised ease. Brittany shuddered at the insincere charm oozing out of him. "You're absolutely right. I let my mouth run away with me and I don't twice about hurting people's feelings. I promise I'll do better."

"Excellent," Will said with a big smile. "See? Everything can be solved with a little compassion."

"Watch my foot compassion his face," Brittany muttered under her breath as she stood up and stalked out of the office.

"Like taking candy from a baby," Puck sang as he bumped her hip with his.

Brittany felt her anger spike again. She put a hand on his chest and pushed him into the row of lockers next to them. "You are scum, Puckerman. Your mom may have her legs spread wide for Stepdaddy Warbucks, but that does not give you the right to laud some apparent sexual prowess over everyone. No one cares. The girls here will believe me and Quinn before they listen to you and, let's face it, you didn't rock either of our worlds. I'm pretty sure we rocked each other's world ten times harder. So, Pucky boy, give up the macho show. You're fooling no one."

She patted his cheek and spun away, feeling surprisingly happy with herself. The bell rang shortly (Will didn't like long, loud bells) and the halls filled quickly.

"Spill," Quinn said, appearing at her side out of the throngs. She linked her arm and handed Brittany her books.

"I totally channelled you," Brittany chuckled. "It was so weird. I went off at Will and I told Puck that we had more fun with each other that night than with him."

Quinn threw her head back and laughed. "Man, I wish I could've been there for that."

"Pretty sure if you walk past the office around lunch, he'll still be picking up the pieces of his fragile ego," Brittany quipped, slipping Quinn's hand into her own and spinning herself into a perfect triple turn. "I can see why you enjoy the whole bitch thing. It's quite...invigorating."

"We could invigorate later if you'd like," Quinn said in a low voice, wiggling her eyebrows.

Brittany rolled her eyes. "Q, I know I'll rock your world, but I got over my thing for blondes last year." She shrugged, but sent her best friend a wink.

Quinn feigned devastation. "My one true love! Dear Barbra, say it isn't so!"

Brittany laughed loudly. "You are such a dork."

"But you love me," Quinn said, devastation gone in an instant.

"I do, Q. I love you like a frigging Tony."

"Who's Tony?" a nauseatingly nasal voice asked loudly as Brittany and Quinn headed into their Advanced Math class.

"The award, dumbass," Quinn said, rolling her eyes.

"Be nice, Q," Brittany berated. "What's up, Sugar?"

"The economy. Well, more like my allowance. Which means party at my house this Saturday. Bring your friends, but only the cool ones. I don't have losers at my party."

"Sure thing. Sounds like fun!"

Sugar grinned and continued into the next classroom.

"Why do you encourage her?" Quinn mumbled, flopping down into her chair.

"Because she's sweet."

"Thus so aptly named. Is she one of your non-blondes?"

Brittany grinned. "I'm not that suicidal. Clingy Sugar. No thank you."

"Sugar. No thank you," Quinn countered.

"She's not that bad."

"Britt, she's talentless. Utterly hopeless. Useless. A waste of space. A hu-"

"I got it, Q. Chill out."

Quinn shrugged. "Whatevs. She's only here cos her daddy can buy half of Ohio. At least her parties rock. Can I stay over at yours on Saturday?"

"Sure."

"Looking to roam?"

Brittany shrugged. "Probably not. I mean, this year's tough. With the winter showcase like two months away, I can't really afford any distractions..." Her voice trailed off as she happened to look up and see Santana step into the room, look around in confusion, glance at the number on the door, roll her eyes and shake her head. She exited the room as quickly as she'd entered it.

"Holy crap," Quinn laughed. "You are so screwed."

Brittany sighed, leaning her face on her hands. "Tell me about it."

* * *

Brittany winced slightly as she stretched out after her gruelling one hour hip hop dance class with Mike. He let her instruct sometimes, which was totally boss. Britt loved it because it felt like she was imparting some of her knowledge and enabling fellow dancers to achieve what she had been fortunate enough to. She had just finished working through an intense routine that her mentor had set out for her. He enjoyed giving her challenges every now and then, like learning a five minute routine in four hours.

She groaned as her quad protested at the strain.

"You can't be out of shape," Mike said in disbelief.

Brittany rolled her eyes in response. "Just think I overextended on the second jump."

"You ok?"

She nodded and Mike continued about his business.

Most of the students considered Mike Chang cold and aloof. Brittany thought that he was simply focused. He got the results from his dancers that he did because he pushed them and wasn't afraid to tell them that he was disappointed in them or that they needed to spend less time drinking rum and more time working on their posture (Quinn hadn't been very charmed about that comment).

The two of them had an understanding. Mike taught her everything he knew to ensure that she would be the best dancer she could be at McKinley and Brittany, in turn, dedicated countless hours to perfecting every aspect of her craft. She was indebted to him. The man used to be a principal dancer for ABA for six years. That was before he found his hidden passion for hip hop and proceeded to tour with Chris Brown until Will Schuester snapped him up. Brittany felt privileged to work with someone of his experience.

"You ready for your evaluation?" Mike asked.

Brittany nodded and the mention brought something else to the forefront of her mind that she had been mulling over. "Mike, could I talk to you about my winter showcase?"

He nodded and leaned against the mirror as she finished up her stretching. "What are you thinking?"

"Well, the piece that I did at the assembly in the first week," she began, "I was thinking that maybe I want to pursue that a little more." She glanced up at him and he was just looking at her with an unreadable expression. She sat up straight and powered on. "I haven't really done much ballet since middle school and even then it was very basic. I have the opportunity to learn from one of the best ballet dancers in the country and I really want that to be my focus for the winter showcase and maybe even for the final showcase."

She bit her lip and searched his face for any kind of reaction.

"Sounds good," he said finally. "Work up a rough idea and we'll discuss it next week after evaluations."

Brittany grinned widely and did a fist pump when Mike disappeared into his office. This was her chance to really embrace the challenge of being a well-rounded dancer, someone who was pretty efficient in all forms. Now that she had Mike's permission, ideas starting flying through her head.

Surprisingly (or unsurprisingly), Brittany's mind went immediately to Santana when she thought about music. She was absolutely certain that she wanted a repeat of what had happened at the assembly. She wanted that feeling, that _connection_, not only with the music, but with the person playing the music. She wanted her body to be free to move. And if she were being honest, Brittany had never felt more free than for those three minutes dancing on stage with Santana playing. Not in her entire life.

She grabbed her bag and skipped out of the studio, colliding with someone as she entered the hallway.

"Holy shit! I'm so sorry!" Brittany exclaimed, gathering her balance and leaning down to help the unfortunate recipient of her overzealous clumsiness. "I'm such a..." Her voice trailed off as the most unbelievable brown eyes found hers, "...klutz."

Santana smiled and just shook her head, grabbing loose sheets of music that had fallen onto the floor. Brittany quickly snapped out of her daze and hurried to assist the most intriguing person she had ever met. She held the pile of sheet music to Santana and couldn't hide the grin when their fingers brushed each other in the exchange.

"Um, how are you?" Brittany finally asked.

_Was this normal? How do you talk to a mute girl?_

Santana just nodded with a smile and pointed to Brittany.

_Oh, she must be asking how I am._

"I'm, uh, good, thanks," she replied. "I was actually wondering if I could ask you something?"

Santana looked at her curiously. Brittany took it as an invitation to continue.

"So, I don't know if you've heard about the winter showcase yet-" Santana nodded, "-but I'm, uh, I mean, this is my senior year and I'm expected to make an impact and I was hoping that you might be my pianist?"

Santana blinked in surprise. Brittany grimaced to herself. She'd just started rambling, sounding like an utter idiot. Her crush was going to think she was a total loser. Well, she kinda was when it came to Santana Lopez. Common sense went out the door. As well as self-control. And the ability to form normal sentences.

They just looked at each other for a while (Brittany didn't really know how long it was) until Santana eventually dropped her eyes and rummaged around in her bag. She eventually produced a phone and handed it to Brittany. The blonde smiled and took it, quickly programming her number in and adding a heart next to her name as an afterthought. A little flirting never hurt anyone, right?

"So, you'll call me?" Brittany asked. She immediately clamped a hand over her mouth. "Text! I mean text!"

Santana chuckled voicelessly. It was strange to watch her shoulders shake but hear no sound come out of her mouth.

_Can mute people laugh?_

Brittany decided that she had some serious research to do when she got home. She watched Santana type on her phone and felt her pocket vibrate a few seconds later. With a smile at the petit girl, she pulled out her phone and read the new message she'd received.

_You don't need to be flustered around me. I prefer it when people don't make my disability as obvious as it is at a performing arts school. A slip of the tongue is natural. I won't shun you for it. And now you have my number :)_

"You type really fast," Brittany murmured, slipping her phone back into her pocket.

Santana grinned and turned to walk down the corridor.

"Enjoy the rest of your afternoon, Santana!" Brittany called after her, her hands gripping the straps of her backpack tightly.

She turned around and wiggled her fingers in a goodbye wave. Brittany practically melted on the spot.

"You are in such trouble, Pierce," she muttered to herself once she was sure Santana was out of earshot.

* * *

Brittany's head was full of questions as she did her laps the following morning. She'd stayed up past midnight, completely engrossed in her research on mutism. Depending the reason for Santana's silence, she could very well laugh or even whisper. Something told Brittany that she shouldn't push the subject, though. She had waited (with much restraint) to respond to Santana's text until she'd gotten home.

_Saved in my favourites ;) See you at school._

Not too pushy, right? She wasn't even sure if Santana was even gay. Or if she had sweet lady tendencies. Brittany had still gotten a vibe from her and she was just gently probing what that vibe could mean. If Santana shot her down, then she would simply have to admire her from afar. Or maybe not so far. Like a few metres. That wasn't too creepy, right?

She broke the surface after her 200m sprint and took slow, deep breaths. She lay her arms on the edge of the pool and rested her chin on the wet skin of her forearms.

It would suck if Santana rejected her. Not rejected her advances, but even shut out her attempts at friendship. She frowned. Had she presumed too much? Just because everyone (maybe with th exception of Puck) at McKinley liked Brittany didn't automatically mean that Santana would. She was different. Very different.

If Santana didn't want to be even her friend, Brittany felt like she might die. It sounded crazy, she knew, but she felt in her soul that Santana was meant to be in her life, in whatever capacity.

Brittany set her jaw and pushed away from the wall, determinedly cutting through the water. Even if it took all year, Santana Lopez would become her friend.

* * *

It hadn't actually been as difficult to 'accidentally' find ways to run into Santana (bearing in mind that their different majors kept them in opposite wings of the school) as she'd expected. After dance, Brittany found herself 'accidentally' wandering down the main corridor of the music wing.

_Totally here to see Quinn._

The fact that she'd gone home about an hour ago didn't matter.

She paused when she heard a beautiful melody being played. It echoed down the empty corridor and it made Brittany smile. It was almost calling to her. Only one person's music could do that.

Brittany eventually found the room that the music was flowing out of. She leaned against the wall next to the door, just listening for a few minutes. It was a well hidden room, actually. She hadn't even known it was there. The door was concealed by the stairs leading to the second floor. There was a janitor's closet right next to it so most people probably assumed that the door was a random extra.

It was almost fitting that Santana would find such a secret room to hone her craft. Similarly, Brittany commandeered the smallest dance studio at the far end of the dance wing. Mike mostly left her to her own devices unless she specifically requested his presence or he was actively teaching her something. Eighty percent of the time was spent keeping herself company. Brittany loved the solitude, though.

She continued listening for a while, just letting the soft melodies wash over her. She closed her eyes and took a quiet breath, allowing the music to warp her imagination. She saw rolling green hills, fields of flowers, blue sky for miles and a gorgeous lake that was as still as a mirror.

Yeah, so what if it was cliché?

In her mind, Brittany watched herself put together flowing movements, marking the beginnings of a routine. She smiled as the steps just followed effortlessly in her head. It was like Santana's music unlocked parts of her creative brain that she hadn't even known were there.

Brittany was tempted to lean towards the word muse…

Would it be too soon to say something like that? Hell, it was definitely too soon for Brittany to be so drawn to a girl that she'd only seen maybe a handful of times since their impulsive collaboration during the assembly that first week of school. Almost four weeks later and Brittany felt like her _need_ to know Santana had simply grown.

The music suddenly stopped and Brittany froze, her senses on high alert for any alarming movement. She was pretty sure that her skulking outside Santana's secret room wouldn't be considered friend-like behaviour. There was a rustle of paper and Brittany could have sworn that she heard a loud exhalation of breath.

_That doesn't mean a thing – remember that breathing out is just air. It doesn't require any use of the vocal chords or larynx._

Brittany grinned. She was totally proud of herself for remembering that kind of stuff. And she felt like it brought her closer to Santana. Not necessarily in an immediate best friend kind of way, but more like an understanding Santana kind of way. Brittany didn't deny that the Latina fascinated her – not only because of her incredible musical ability and the profound effect that it had on her, but also because…well, those _eyes_. They captivated her. It was like they held her and wouldn't let her go. And strangely, it didn't freak Britt out in the least. She welcomed the control. Of course, Santana probably had _no_ idea the effect she had on Brittany, and the blonde found that endearing. Her naivety and innocence was just as attractive as the mystery surrounding her.

A slower, sadder melody started playing and Brittany felt her heart start aching. How was it that anything that this girl played had an immediate and severe effect on her? She'd listened to so much music before and sure, it had affected her, but as soon as she was done dancing, or she was done using it for whatever purpose, it left her and she didn't really dwell on it. Santana's piece of music from the assembly played in Brittany's head at _least_ once a day. Quinn had called her on humming it several times, jumping at the chance to tease her mercilessly.

Brittany found her feet moving of their own accord, taking her through the open door and into the room where she watched with wide eyes as Santana's nimble fingers flew over the keys. She was so focused on her music that she didn't even see Brittany in the room. The blonde dropped her bag quietly by the door and utilised the open space in the room – it was deceptively big – to freely allow Santana's music to manipulate her body. A brief slip of the notes alerted Brittany to the fact that Santana had seen her. Her body refused to stop, though, and thankfully the music didn't either.

She lost track of time. She could have been dancing for ten minutes, an hour, three hours or just a minute. She was just overwhelmed with feeling and the incredible sense of freedom. It was a very complex thing for Brittany to understand and no way was her brain allowing her to even attempt an analysis whilst she was dancing. The movements came to her easily and in the back of her mind she was mapping them.

Eventually Santana's music came to a gradual end. Brittany slowed her body and took a few deep breaths. She was exhausted. Her shirt was sticking to her from sweat.

_Joy. How attractive I must look now._

She chanced a look at the younger girl and saw her looking back with those big brown eyes full of curiosity and intrigue. This time it was Brittany who broke their gaze, letting a small smile cross her lips and nodded in appreciation. She turned slowly and picked up her bag from the doorway. She paused and glanced over her shoulder, sending Santana a quick wave before exiting the room.

The breath left her chest in a loud _whoosh_. She fumbled with her phone and saw that she'd been in there dancing for about half an hour. She'd have to bribe her mom for a massage that night, after a good swim and long, hot bath.

The routine came back to the forefront of her mind and she frowned in confusion. She'd never been able to come up with something so quickly before. Especially considering that she had no _real_ training in ballet and had only mimicked what she'd seen on stage and online.

Suddenly, she was eager to show Mike what she'd come up with, but she knew that he wouldn't hear it. The next day and Friday were all about evaluations and all the teachers would be knee deep in assessments. Brittany's was only on Friday and she was doing a standard hip-hop routine. But now she was re-evaluating that. Two days…was that enough time to rework her five minute evaluation? If she did change it and fucked it up, Mike would be far from pleased. Neither would Will.

She pulled out her phone and dialled the first number on her recent calls list.

"I need you to meet me at the Bean. I'm in dire need of advice."

* * *

Brittany finished explaining her dancing dilemma and Rachel Berry sat back, sipping her mocha slowly. The blonde looked at her desperately. She hated uncertainty. She hated not knowing what to do. She _always_ knew what to do. She was always the best. Teachers expected flawless routines from her and she always delivered.

"Rachel, I'm freaking out here. Say something. Anything. Please!"

"Realistically, Brittany, do you see yourself choreographing something new and perfecting it to your usual standard in two days?"

Brittany considered carefully. "I already know the choreography. It would simply be a case of verbatim until it sticks. And then there's the music."

"Oh, let Finn take care of that," Rachel said with a wave of her hand. "You know he's a whiz with meshing stuff together."

"Yeah?" Brittany asked hopefully. "Should I call him now?"

Rachel shook her head. "He's working till late tonight. Find him first thing tomorrow. In the meantime, get your two tracks and get your choreography down pat so that you can give him an idea of how you need the tracks mixed."

Brittany breathed a sigh of relief. "Rachel, I can't thank you enough."

"Hey, what are older sisters for?" she teased.

"Yeah." Brittany grinned. "It's so weird with you out of the house. What's it like living with Finn?"

Rachel pulled her lips to one side. "Interesting," she finally said. "He's so…messy. I can't seem to get him to understand the simple things. Even something as basic as putting the toilet seat down. Or picking up his laundry from the bathroom floor. Or rinsing his dishes after he's done eating. Or…"

Brittany tuned her sister out and wondered why she was staying with him when she was so _obviously_ still in love with Quinn.

Rachel was Brittany's adoptive sister and older by one year. Brittany and Rachel's moms were best friends all through school and roommates in college. When Rachel's parents were killed in a horrific car accident when she was seven, Brittany's mom had become her guardian as per her mother's last will and testament. Rachel was a singer and had graduated from McKinley the previous year. She had been all set to go to New York halfway through her senior year when her on-again, off-again boyfriend since sophomore year suddenly proposed.

To everyone's surprise, Rachel had said yes. Brittany was pretty sure that even Finn was surprised. Most people thought that the proposal was a desperate man's way to hold onto his girl. Brittany agreed. It was no secret that Rachel and Quinn had…relations with each other on a regular basis. When she and Finn were off, she and Quinn were very much on. It wasn't the healthiest of situations, but Brittany knew better than to get involved. Her sister and her best friend? There was no taking sides because someone was bound to get hurt. Unfortunately, that someone was Quinn.

Over the summer, she'd hung out with a random group of girls called Skanks. She'd streaked her hair pink and blue, gotten a stupid ass tramp stamp and thrown out her wardrobe in favour of short skirts and ripped shirts. Brittany had just embraced the new Quinn and their friendship remained intact. They never spoke of Rachel though and Quinn was never mentioned when she was with her sister.

It made no sense to Brittany. Rachel loved Quinn. Quinn loved Rachel. Why bother with all the drama? It wasn't like either sets of parents had a problem with any of the girls' fluid sexuality. Quinn definitely leaned more towards girls than Brittany, and Rachel had only really been with Quinn, but had kissed a few girls in her early teens.

"Britt?"

"Hmmm?"

Rachel chuckled. "Where did you disappear to?"

"Sorry. Just…thinking."

Rachel's eyes flickered with realisation, but it was gone in an instant. "So are you decided? You're changing your evaluation."

She nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah. This is my senior year. I have to take every opportunity to push myself in directions I've never gone before. I need to grow as a dancer. I need that edge above everyone else."

"You already are the best, Britt."

"At McKinley, maybe. But I'm going to New York and I'll be a very small fish in a very big pond."

Rachel nodded and looked her little sister fondly. "You've grown up a lot this year already, Britt. And I've never seen you this passionate about making a statement before. Is there particular reason?"

_Yes. She has long black hair and gorgeous lips and eyes I could look into forever and she has talent coming out of every orifice with enough spare change for everyone at Juilliard._

_And I am completely enamoured with her._

"I don't think I could pinpoint it on something specific," Brittany said vaguely. "I made a deal that I was going to push myself this year and try things that I hadn't before. Ballet is one, the major one. I also want to explore interpretative dance more than what I did last year. I want to mix styles. I want to _create_ styles. I want to grow as a person and as a dancer. And I think that this is a good start."

"Well, whatever it is, keep doing it because if you maintain this passion through to the final showcase, Juilliard will be _begging_ for you."

Brittany grinned. That would be a dream come true.

* * *

She spent the next two days working solidly on her evaluation. She forewent her morning swim for practice and stayed until the sun was setting at the studio, getting the music right with her choreography. Finn was really helpful and Brittany had to artfully steer Quinn away from the studio whilst he was there helping her. Even though it was purely professional, Quinn would definitely not see her collaboration with Finn in that light.

Quinn and Finn. Brittany had mumbled to her best friend that Rachel probably chose him because his name sounds similar to hers and it was easier to disguise saying her name in bed instead of her fiance's. Quinn hadn't been impressed and Brittany had lost a ride home. She hadn't complained. A junior had kept her company the rest of the night. Or was it two juniors…?

_Focus, Brittany._

Friday morning had her more nervous than she'd been for a performance in a very long time. Naturally, the seniors were all last and _of course_ she'd been scheduled to close out the evaluations. The teachers were probably all expecting an easy grade. Brittany really hoped that she wouldn't disappoint them, especially Mike.

"Hey."

Brittany just looked at her best friend with wild eyes.

"Whoa, hey, Britt. Calm down! You're gonna have a hernia and I don't think even _you _could hide that with your sickest pops and locks."

The smirk on Quinn's face calmed her racing heart and she smiled gratefully. "I don't know why I'm so nervous about this. I've done hundreds of performances."

"Yeah, but you're stepping outside your comfort zone. And you're doing something _so_ different. Mashing hip hop and ballet? Come on, no one does at a performing arts school. That's like fucking professional shit, Britty. You're gonna knock this one outta the park."

Brittany felt her rapid breathing relax completely. "Wow. Quinn, you're amazing."

"This is true. You should prove how amazing I am with any sexual favour I request from now until graduation."

Brittany grinned. "I would, but I don't think it would compare."

"To what?"

"Last year," Brittany replied, wiggling her eyebrows and laughing. "I wouldn't want to tarnish our goodbye."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "You're so damn sentimental." But she smiled and pulled her in for a hug. "Love you, B."

"Love you, Q." She pulled back. "Something we _do_ have to look forward to is getting completely wasted at Sugar's party tomorrow."

Quinn snapped her fingers. "See, this is why you're the brains and I'm the beauty."

"Ha! Keep talking, Fabray. My bedpost has several more notches than you."

They often joked like this, but their conquests weren't something they kept score of or even spoke about, really. They weren't like guys and they hated that guys did that. They went with the flow. If a good time was on offer, a good time was had.

"Good luck, Brittany," another senior said as she ran into the wings. "Knock 'em dead."

"Not literally, though," Quinn stage-whispered, patting her best friend smartly on the ass before she stepped onto the stage.

The _Rose Adagio _from _Sleeping Beauty_ flowed through the speakers and Brittany launched into her routine. At McKinley you didn't wait for an introduction. They had too many students to see and not enough time to do it in. They literally followed each other with no break in between.

The first thirty seconds of her song was pure flowing movement. She obviously didn't have the correct attire because she immediately locked her hips and straightened her arms as the soft ballet music swiftly moved into Rihanna's _Where Have You Been All My Life_. The music choice had happened quite by chance – as she and Rachel had left the coffee shop on Wednesday evening, someone's phone had started ringing with that tone and the beat hadn't left Brittany. Rachel had helped with the ballet selection. She was more into the classical thing than Brittany was. Well, she definitely planned on becoming a lot more familiar with different ballets and their composers and such.

Finn's excellent mix played throughout the auditorium and Brittany switched effortlessly (well, she hoped it _looked_ effortless_._ It certainly didn't feel like a lot of effort) from ballet to hip hop and back again. After four intense minutes, Rihanna's voice played back against the ballet (Finn's idea) and Brittany ended with her signature no hands cartwheel.

She nodded at the teachers, breathing heavily, and walked offstage. Quinn's mouth was wide open.

"Holy shit, B. That was incredible."

She grinned. "Told you it'd be worth the wait."

"And here you were all nervous five minutes ago."

Brittany shrugged and headed to the exit. She needed water. "You distracted me enough from my nerves." She took her best friend's hand and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Thanks, Q."

A faint blush coloured the shorter girl's cheeks and she cleared her throat. "Whatever, Britt. We're celebrating. Gimme ideas."

"Laser tag?"

"Brilliant."

* * *

Brittany was humming in the shower, happily scrubbing the grime of two days' intense training from her body.

"Britt, your mom said we could take your dad's car," Quinn called through the bathroom door.

"Score! Q, hand me my toothbrush please?"

She complied, but not without protest. "I cannot understand how you can brush your teeth and wash your hair at the same time. It just doesn't seem feasible."

"Don't hate cos I can multitask. Besides, our love is unconditional." Due to the toothbrush in her mouth, most of it came out garbled.

"Whatever. I'm going to raid your closet."

"Leave my tanks alone!" Brittany yelled before the door closed.

Five minutes later, feeling like a million bucks, Brittany walked into her room wearing a towel and inspected the disaster area that was her bed.

"I'm not cleaning this up," she told Quinn, whose head was buried in her big closet. She slapped her best friend's cute ass, earning a loud squeal and selected a red dress for the night's festivities.

"Britt, we're going to Laser tag. It's not some code name for a strip club. There are teeny boppers and shit there."

"Exactly," Brittany replied with a smirk, holding the dress up against her. "This dress plus my devil heels will ensure victory for Team Brinn."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "How many times to I have to explain how _lame_ a shipper name is? We're friends! It doesn't even make sense. Besides, Quitt's way better."

Brittany laughed and tackled Quinn onto the bed, tickling her in all her weak spots.

"Ok, Jesus! Brinn! It's Brinn!"

"I always win, Fabray," Brittany said seriously, leaning down and pecking her best friend on the lips.

Quinn's hand quickly caught Brittany's neck and pulled her back down, caressing her mouth against the dancer's. She gave in for a moment, but eventually pulled away.

"Quinn, let's not do this again, ok? It was fun and everything last year, but we both know that we don't want each other like that. Our friendship means too much to both of us to fuck it up any more. Right?"

Quinn huffed, but nodded in agreement. "Sorry. You're still hot," she added with a shrug. "You may be my best friend, but I'm still human."

Brittany winked and got off the bed. "I am definitely one fine piece of ass, as are you, Quinn Fabray. So how about we dress up these fine asses and go kick some teeny weeny asses."

"I think the word ass was used to many times there for it to sound cool."

* * *

Brittany knelt behind a fake trooper and adjusted her vest. It was causing her dress to ride up unnecessarily high. Normally she wasn't afraid of showing off some leg, but a group of mothers had given them the Disapproved Mom look when they'd arrived so she hardly wanted to cause any more trouble. She and Quinn were just out having fun.

She felt her phone vibrate against her boob and pulled it out, thinking maybe Quinn was texting her for some super strategic planning plan. Technically, no cell phones were allowed, but the attendant's eyes had just about popped out of his head when Brittany innocently asked where he expected her to hide a phone. Quinn had killed herself laughing.

Her eyes widened and she fell flat on her ass out of shock when she saw the message.

_Hi Brittany. It's Santana. I just wanted to congratulate you on a truly amazing and unique performance. If that is the avenue that you're looking to go into for your winter showcase, then I would be more than happy to accompany you. Have a great weekend._

Brittany smiled goofily, staring at the screen for several moments. She couldn't help but wonder what it would sound like if she could hear Santana actually _say_ those things to her.

She'd seen her performance! And she'd liked it! And she wanted to help! It was turning out to be a pretty fucking awesome night after a pretty fucking awesome day (minus the almost nervous breakdown).

Her vest vibrated and lights went off as some kid ran past laughing at her. She didn't care. Santana had _noticed_ her. And they were going to spend more time together.

"Britt!" Quinn said in exasperation. "Did you get your ass handed to you by Justin Bieber over there?"

"No, I got…distracted."

"Oh, crap," Quinn muttered. "Hand it over."  
"No," Brittany said stubbornly. "My message."

"Let me see it."

"No!"

"Britt, come on."

"No, Quinn!"

"Why not?"

"Because?"

"Because why?"

"Because I said so."

"That's not a reason."

"Fine. Because it's _my_ message, not yours."

Quinn chuckled and shook her head. "Brittany Pierce, you have got it _so_ bad for this girl."

Brittany sighed happily. "I know. Isn't she just absolutely perfect?"

"I'm starting to wonder of she's even real. She sounds like some kind of fairytale princess."

Brittany's eyes lit up in the darkness. "She totally could be. I reckon she probably has a castle somewhere."

"Did you hit your head, Britt?" Quinn asked with a note of concern.

"Nope. Santana sent me a message," she said proudly.

"Did you do a shot before we left?"

Brittany scrunched her nose. "Weren't you there? I poured four shots. Two each."

Quinn laughed. "B, there were four _empty_ shots by the time I found you."

"Oh. Who drank them then?"

"You are priceless. Come on, let's get you out of here before you say something damaging."

"No! We have to protect Santana!" Brittany said firmly, holding up her gun with her eyes narrowed. "We have to protect the princess. You're gonna protect her with me, right, Q?"

She sighed. "But of course, B. Where else would I be?"

"You're the bestest friend ever. I'll make sure that you get knighted or something. Santana's super nice like that."

"I'm sure, Britt. Let's kick some ass already. I want nachos."

* * *

**A/N: Soooo….very different, I think, to what I've done before. Drunk Britt is fun :) I'm definitely gonna write more of her :) And Badass Quinn. They're a good combo :)**

**Would love to hear your thoughts!**

**Shout out to heyabrittanaxo (AGAIN) for the awesome cover art. Serious talent, that one :)**

**-H **


	3. A welcome distraction

**A/N: So I'm guessing you guys like this? ;p**

**Your support is overwhelming :) Thanks so much :)**

**Yay for Brinn! Lol. You guys love 'em :)**

**This chapter goes out to naynay1963 – most persistent person I've ever met (over PM) ;p**

**Enjoy!**

**Onward and up.**

**-H**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee :(**

* * *

**CHAPTER 3: A welcome distraction**

Brittany squinted at her phone as she paused on the stairs up to her room. She couldn't understand why Santana's message was blurring in front of her eyes,

"Britt, what are you doing?" Quinn chuckled.

"Why can't I read it anymore?" She pouted.

"Because, doofus, you've got the damn thing up against your nose. Besides, you know every word of that text off by heart. You stopped every two minutes during laser tag to read it. Which, may I remind you," Quinn poked Brittany's ribs with a finger, "meant that we got our asses handed to us by a bunch of Justin Biebers."

Brittany looked at her best friend suddenly with a big smile. "Santana has a great ass. Like a really, _really_ great ass. I remember we were talking about asses earlier. We said your ass and my ass and how hot they are and I think Santana's ass is the hottest ass ever. Like ever on this planet. Ever!"

"Got it, B," Quinn said, rolling her eyes. She linked her arm through her drunk friend's. "I knew stopping at that bar was a bad idea."

"Why?" Brittany sang and then giggled. "The bartender gives us free drinks there."

"He gave _you_ free drinks," Quinn corrected. "Someone had to stay sober to get your sorry ass home."

Brittany laughed and squealed at the same time, causing Quinn to look at her in alarm.

"You said ass again!" Brittany clapped her hands in delight.

"Jesus Christ," Quinn muttered, pulling Brittany up the stairs. "I think I prefer you when you're a stripper drunk."

"No, Quinn. You're not allowed to gets all up on this anymore," Brittany said, trying to be serious. "Only Santana. Oh, did I tell you she sent me the best text ever!"

"You got a plan to get into her pants, Blondie?"

Brittany opened her mouth and then closed it again as she frowned in confusion.

"Quinn, that doesn't make sense," she mumbled. Her eyes widened. "How did we get here?"

Quinn guided Brittany to her big bed and pushed her onto it. "Sleep it off, B. We can do a repeat performance tomorrow."

"No, I gotta text her back."

"Oh, no." Quinn quickly stepped in and grabbed Brittany's phone from her hands.

"Quinnie!" Brittany whined, sticking out her bottom lip. "Gimme back!"

"Hell no. If this girl means as much to you as she seems to, you're gonna send her running in the other direction if you send her a drunk text about how perfect you think her ass is."

"But her ass _is_ perfect!" Brittany protested, lifting her arms and flopping them back down on the bed. "So perfect. Round and squeezable. I like watching her walk."

"Yeah, you're definitely not getting this back until the morning," Quinn stated. "She doesn't need to know how much of a stalker you really are."

"It's not my fault I'm drawn to her! You don't know what it's like, Quinnie! It's like…it's like we're _connected_, like on a different level. Like I have my soul and she has her soul, but we each have a piece of each other's and that's why her music affects me, why _she_ affects me."

Brittany suddenly didn't feel as drunk as she had five minutes ago as her blurted words sunk deep into her conscience.

It was true. That was how she felt. One thing alcohol always did to her was loosen her tongue and make her honest – brutally so.

Quinn was quiet. She just rummaged around in Brittany's dresser for clothes for them to sleep in.

"I think…I think I could fall in love with her," Brittany murmured.

"Little early to be talking about love, don't you think, B?" Quinn snapped suddenly. "You've had two face-to-face conversations with her and you can't even really qualify them as conversations because only one of you were speaking!"

Brittany's anger spiked. "What the hell is wrong with you? Getting jealous that I've found my match and that I'm not afraid of going after what I want?"

"Britt, don't go there," Quinn warned, her eyes narrowing.

Brittany sat up, glaring at her. "Why? I'm the only one who'll call you out on your bullshit. Hasn't this gone on long enough? You don't get to bitch at me for having feelings for a girl that I connect with just because you can't deal with the fact that you're still completely in love with Rachel and she didn't choose you."

Three seconds later, Brittany's door slammed closed, the noise echoing through the large house.

The dancer groaned and fell back against her comforter. She knew that she'd gone way over the line. Why was it that any bad word against Santana had her going suddenly ape shit with no control over her actions or words? She'd done the same thing to Puck. And now Quinn…

"Crap," Brittany muttered, jumping up and walking quickly to her bathroom. She washed her face and made sure she looked somewhat presentable. She shimmied out of the tight dress and threw on a sweater and jeans with her flats. She grabbed her car keys, purse and searched for her phone, but realised that Quinn probably still had it.

"Guess I gotta dig into my Quinn files," Brittany muttered, opening her door and jogging down the stairs. She could still feel the alcohol in her system, but for some reason, she was incredibly focused and her vision was fine.

Jumping into her car, she headed for their favourite diner, two minutes away from the school. They went there almost every day because they made the _best_ pancakes and their coffee was addictively good.

Brittany didn't stay far from the school. In fact, it was about a ten minute walk, but it was late on a Friday night and her dad would kill her if she went walking about by herself. Plus, she didn't know how far she'd have to go.

The familiar sight of blue, purple and blonde hair in their booth negated her last thought. She pulled into the parking lot and took a breath before getting out and walking in. The jingle of the bell alerted Charlie, the owner and chef, to her arrival.

"Hey, Britt!" he called. "Usual?"

"Uh, maybe later, Charlie," she replied, her eyes on Quinn.

Her best friend had heard Charlie's greeting and looked up, her hazel eyes shooting daggers. Brittany knew she was in for some serious grovelling.

She slid into the booth, dropping her keys and purse quietly next to the sugar shaker. "Hey."

Unsurprisingly, she didn't get a reply.

"Q, I was out of line. No matter what you say to piss me off, I shouldn't have said that. I'm really sorry."

There was a silence that was somehow uncomfortable and comfortable at the same time. Brittany waited for Quinn to respond.

"I know you don't say anything to spare my feelings," she eventually began in a quiet voice, "because you're in the middle and it sucks. I just…it seems so unfair that everyone else gets a fairy tale ending when mine was ripped from me by a stupid proposal."

Brittany leaned across the table and grabbed Quinn's hands, linking their fingers and holding on tight. "I can't imagine how hard it was for you to go through that, Q. I do see how much it affected you and still affects you and that's why I don't bring it up. I don't want to see that pain on your face. I don't want you to hurt more than you do everyday. I do know how much it's killing you and how you try to hide it." She gave Quinn's hands a reassuring squeeze. "I can't imagine what it feels like, but from what I can see, you're the strongest person I know for managing to deal with it."

"Deal with it?" Quinn laughed humourlessly. "You think I'm dealing with it, Britt? You really think that? If you do, then I must be a better actress than I thought. Or you must not know me as well as you thought."

Brittany didn't rise to the bait. They both retreated to low blows when they were hurting, even if the other person wasn't responsible. The price of knowing each other since kindergarten – they reacted almost identically to any given situation.

"Sorry," Quinn muttered. "I know you didn't mean it. I started it in the first place with that stupid comment about Santana."

"Babe, don't worry about it, ok? I know why you said it. I've found someone and it sucks for you because of what happened."

Their relationship was also incredible frank. Other than the whole Rachel fuck up, they were completely open with each other. In ways most friends weren't. However, this was the first time they were diving into the repercussions of Rachel choosing Finn over Quinn so everything was on the table.

"Do you really think she's your soul mate or whatever?" Quinn asked quietly.

Brittany shrugged. "I know I've never felt like this before. And I'm not just talking about attraction. I know I was drunk and probably not making any sense-"

"Oh no, you actually made perfect sense," Quinn interjected with a wry smile.

_Progress_, Brittany congratulated herself with a smile of her own.

"I think I'm so desperate to know her that I'm letting my mind run away with me. I know that I feel a connection to her – I have since that first day. But for all I know, she feels nothing and I'm gonna hopelessly be crushing on a girl who has _no_ idea of how I feel." Brittany sighed. "I guess that's the price for something out of your control."

Quinn huffed in agreement. Brittany spun around. "Hey, Charlie!" she called.

"Sup, Britt?"

"Two special cocktails, please?"

Charlie grinned. "You're lucky we're quiet, ladies."

Brittany smiled back and turned back to Quinn.

"I was really hoping to get one of those tonight," Quinn mumbled, sniffing. "They make everything better."

"It's true," Brittany agreed, nodding fervently. "And we have some dire need for cocktail indulgence."

"B?"

She squeezed her friend's hands in response.

"Why didn't she pick me?"

And there it was. The question that had plagued Brittany for months. _Why_ had Rachel chosen Finn? She had wanted to ask her sister so many times, but the heartbroken look on Quinn's face always popped into her head just before she opened her mouth and she chickened out.

"Q, there is no doubt in my mind that Rachel loves you," Brittany said seriously. "Every time I see her, I can see that she wants to ask me how you are. Sweetie, if I knew why she said yes to him, I would tell you in a heartbeat. Hell, I would've told you the minute I'd found out. I really do hate seeing you hurt like this."

Quinn shrugged. "It wasn't just physical when we were together."

Brittany tried not to grimace at the immediate mental image of her sister and best friend between the sheets.

"We spoke about our dreams and where we saw ourselves in five or ten years' time. We learned about each other's lives. I mean, we've known each other for ages so there wasn't that much to learn, I guess, but the stuff that no one else sees."

Brittany nodded. She knew this. She could see how they were when they were together. They were their own world for however long Rachel and Finn were on a timeout. She could see their connection.

"You have a connection with her, Q. You guys are drawn to each other the same way I'm drawn to Santana." She sighed. "If I ever had to try and ignore that connection, I'd probably go crazy."

"Welcome to my world."

"I'm so sorry, Q."

She shrugged. "What can we do? She made her choice. She doesn't care about me."

"She loves you," Brittany insisted.

"She may love me, B, but she doesn't care about me," Quinn shot back.

Brittany allowed the thought to roll around in her head. It made a lot of sense. She didn't know how Rachel looked at herself in the mirror every morning if that was the case. She shook her head to herself.

"Two special grande cocktails for my two favourite ladies," Charlie said, suddenly interrupting the serious moment.

Brittany smiled gratefully up at him. "You're the best, Charlie. Thanks so much."

"No problem, girls. Anyone I need to take care of?"

They couldn't help but chuckle. Because they were there so often, Charlie had taken it upon himself to be their 'Diner Dad'. He had the whole protective spiel down pat. He was actually pretty menacing when he wanted to be.

"Thanks, Charlie, but no contracts are needed at this time," Brittany said.

"If you say so." Charlie didn't look convinced. "I don't like seeing my girls so sad."

"We'll bounce back," Quinn assured him with a small smile. "You'll remember this when you're telling us to get down off the table again."

Brittany met her best friend's smile as she recalled the last time they had given the diner an impromptu performance to whatever song had been playing on the jukebox.

Charlie grunted and leaned down, kissing the top of Brittany's head before doing the same to Quinn. "As long as you're safe and taken care of, I'll keep Benny tucked away in the back."

The girls shook their heads in adoration for the middle-aged man and his sidekick, Benny. Benny was a permanently loaded shotgun and Charlie was a pro with it.

Brittany picked up her spoon and dug into the Charlie Sundae Extravaganza. It had a codename because only long standing patrons of _Charlie's_ got to taste its awesomeness. Brittany was pretty sure that Charlie had created it just for them.

"God, how does he make them so perfectly every time?" Quinn mumbled through a mouthful of chocolate brownie, ice cream and diced almonds and cherries.

"Hmmm," Brittany agreed. She was convinced that Charlie had some secret special magical ingredient that he put in his cocktails to make everything fine again. Every time the girls had one, they felt like a weight had been lifted off.

Ten minutes later, Brittany sat back, the empty glass in front of her. "Oh my God, that was heaven."

Quinn dropped her spoon and groaned. "How do you always manage to finish them? I can never get more than halfway."

"Because I do about twenty times more exercise than you, lazy cow," Brittany teased.

"Bitch, please. You only practise that much because you _need_ it."

Brittany grinned. They were back.

They discussed Quinn's evaluation until her best friend's hazel eyes went wide when the door jingled open.

"What?" Brittany asked curiously, turning around. Her heart started beating faster as she saw Santana walk up to the counter, looking utterly adorable in her flannel pyjamas. Well, it was almost midnight.

"See you tomorrow, B," Quinn said, slipping out of the booth, sliding Brittany's phone to her.

"Wait, what? Quinn, what are you doing?" Brittany hissed.

"Thanks, Charlie!" Quinn called as she neared the counter where Santana was standing. "Britt will take care of the bill."

_Sneaky bitch._

Brittany spun back around the moment she saw Santana's head pop up at the mention of her name.

"Quinn, I don't think you've paid once since you two entered my diner all those years ago," Charlie chuckled.

Brittany grabbed her phone and opened up all her social networks, hoping the distraction would chase her mind from the fact that Santana was five feet away from her.

"Well, hello, young lady!" she heard Charlie greet cheerfully. "Haven't seen your pretty face around here before. What can I get you?"

Brittany had to grin at Charlie's charm. She and Quinn had totally fallen for it too.

"Gotcha. Order'll take about ten minutes. Can I get you some coffee or something while you wait?"

Santana must have given him a piece of paper or something. Brittany breathed out deeply, suddenly realising how awkward simply ordering a meal could be for a mute person. Not for the first time in the last week, she found herself exceptionally grateful for the complete use of all five of her senses.

Now her brain, that was a different story. Anytime Santana came into her vicinity, her brain went on the blink and she lost the most basic control on everyday functions. Like talking. Or breathing. Or impulse control.

She was jolted out of her inner monologue by someone sitting across from her. Brittany looked up from her phone and the goofy smile seemingly reserved for Santana immediately crossed her face. Cue the impulse control. Or lack thereof. She couldn't help it. Seeing Santana just made her happy. Her heart started beating like crazy and she felt her neck getting faintly warm, the sure sign of a blush.

Santana smiled back and gave a little wave. Brittany returned it. They just looked at each other until Santana pointed curiously at Quinn's half eaten cocktail.

"Oh, it's Charlie's secret cocktail," Brittany said with a grin. "Quinn can never finish hers." Cue no control over talking.

Santana picked up Quinn's discarded spoon and raised an eyebrow.

"Be my guest. But, um, you may want to finish that quickly," Brittany added in a hushed whisper. "Not just anyone gets to eat these. But, you know, I'll totally cover for you. Cos you should definitely try them. They're awesome."

_God, whoever invented verbal diarrhoea _sucked.

Santana smiled and Brittany melted. Well, it felt like her legs did. She probably looked like a total idiot, watching as Santana polished off the rest of Quinn's sundae while smiling like a goof.

Santana licked her lips and raised her eyebrows, grinning at Brittany. The blonde matched it and they just say back grinning at each other.

_This seems surreal. I feel like I should make conversation…but at the same time this feels totally normal._

The movement of Santana's hands on the table broke their eye contact and Brittany furrowed her eyebrows in a question. Santana lifted one and waved it dismissively, but Brittany just gave her a knowing look.

_Whoa! Who knew that not speaking would let me access my self-confidence?_

Santana started moving her hands slowly, making symbols in front of her. Brittany's eyes widened. Sign language! She hadn't even thought of that. Well, that was definitely going to be the project of the year – especially if she and Santana were going to be working together for the winter showcase. And maybe even the final showcase.

"Um, I don't know sign language, Santana. I'm so sorry," Brittany said quietly, dropping her gaze.

The sharp rap of knuckles on the table made her look up. Santana shook her head and took a breath, her shoulders lifting with the effort. Very slowly, she started moving her hands again, but not into the same gestures as before. She pointed to Brittany, her watch and then gestured around the diner.

"Oh," Brittany said, understanding. "Yeah, it is pretty late. Uh…"

Did she know her well enough to start spouting about her problems? Brittany glanced up and as soon as she saw those beautiful, captivating brown eyes, she was hooked.

"Quinn and I had a bit of a fight and I figured she'd come here cos…well, we kinda always come here after a shit day or something." Brittany took a breath. She didn't divulge things about herself easily. Sure, she was popular, but only Quinn and Rachel really _knew_ her. And here she was, sitting with a girl who couldn't speak and had only known for a few weeks (not that she even really knew her) and she felt comfortable enough to start spewing her troubles. Brittany thought that she'd be thrown off kilter, but it felt strangely…right.

Santana nodded in understanding, looking down at her hands, obviously not expecting anything else.

"You've…heard things about me and Quinn, haven't you?" Brittany ventured, leaning forward and resting her arms on the table.

Santana met her eyes and nodded once. Brittany sighed. The stories that flew around the school about her and Quinn were largely embellished but generally based on fact.

"Santana, I don't want to lie to you. I don't…I don't like lying so if you want to ask me anything, you can and I'll answer truthfully." She winced at the slip of the tongue, but didn't say anything based on what Santana had mentioned about slip-ups.

The brunette looked conflicted. Brittany couldn't help but think how adorable the indecision made her look. She must have started smiling again because Santana frowned and pointed at her mouth. The smile dropped quickly and Brittany focused on her hands guiltily. She felt someone kick her foot and she closed her eyes. She couldn't lie. She wouldn't lie. But it would mean that she was putting herself out there a lot sooner than she'd planned to.

"I hope this doesn't make you uncomfortable," Brittany began softly, opening her eyes and meeting the curious brown ones staring back at her. "I find you…completely adorable. You're so cute when you're thinking about something and I…well, you already know that I think you're beautiful."

Brittany felt her cheeks redden, the heat of her blush covering her entire face and she dropped her eyes quickly in embarrassment. She felt Santana kick her feet, but was too scared to see her reaction. She felt another kick, more insistent and Brittany figured she should comply before her legs ended up with bruises. She lifted her gaze hesitantly and saw Santana looking at her with a friendly smile and hint of shyness. She lifted a hand and put it to her lips, the extended the same hand towards her.

Brittany's eyes widened. She wasn't blowing her a kiss, right? _Right_? Cos that would be just… mindbogglingly awesome.

Santana repeated the gesture and Brittany focused. She felt a little disappointment when she saw that Santana's lips didn't pucker or move when her fingers touched them. It wasn't a kiss. It was probably just a friendly gesture or something. She really needed to get up to speed with some basic sign language signals.

The bell jingled and Brittany watched as Santana's attention drifted past her head to the new patrons. Charlie generally closed around two so he was used to people coming in at strange hours.

"Evening, boys!" Charlie called from the kitchen. "What can I getcha?"

"Hey, old man, do you see any _boys_ here?" a familiar voice sneered.

Brittany winced. Crap. She slid down in her seat, hoping that she wouldn't be spotted. Santana looked at her curiously, but Brittany shook her head slightly, begging her with her eyes to pretend she wasn't there. After a moment, Santana pulled out her phone and busied herself with it.

"Well, well, what do we have here? I'd recognise that head of hair anywhere."

Brittany felt the space next to her become occupied. She sighed and sat up.

"Were you trying to hide from me, Britt?" Rick asked, slinging his arm around her shoulder.

Brittany squirmed uncomfortably and sat forward so that Rick's arm dropped behind her. As it turned out, that wasn't the best idea as his hand just disappeared under her sweater.

"Rick, stop it," she said, jerking away from him.

"That's not what you told me the last time I saw you, Britt."

Brittany shot a glance to Santana who was looking _very_ uncomfortable. "Look, I was drunk at that party, ok? It was a drunken hook up. It didn't mean anything."

"You weren't too drunk to remember it, obviously," Rick retorted. "My favourite part was watching that blonde head of yours moving-"

"Ugh, Jesus Christ, you're so gross," Brittany cut in, shoving him backwards. "Get over yourself, Rick. Two minutes is hardly anything to remember."

His eyes narrowed and he leaned forward, forcing Brittany against the window.

"You don't talk to me like that," he spat. "Just because you go to McKinley and live in a big fancy house, you think you're better than me? Huh?"

Brittany just glared at him.

"Hey, boys!" Charlie called.

The sound of a gun cocking caused Rick to glance back at Charlie. He scoffed and slid out of the booth. Brittany straightened up and tried to calm her racing heart. Rick was an ass and she had been _really_ drunk at that beach party at the beginning of the summer. It was a going away party thrown in her honour just before she left for New York. Word had got out and kids from Carmel, the local high school, had shown up. Generally, Brittany didn't mind them, but these jocks were something else. They thought they were the shit and could do whatever and whomever the fuck they wanted.

Brittany had found this out the hard way when she'd walked out of the little beach huts to a bunch of his friends jeering and congratulating Rick on his 'conquest'. She'd left the party pretty quickly thereafter,

"Oh, hello there, sweetheart. I didn't even see you sitting there."

Brittany saw red. She sprang out of the booth and shouldered herself between Rick and Santana before he could sit down.

"I think we're done here," she said evenly, holding his gaze. Luckily, her height meant that they were eye-to-eye.

"You wish, babe. I'm just getting warmed up."

"_Boys_, I think you've disturbed my patrons enough. There's the door," Charlie said firmly.

"Yeah, whatever, old man," Rick jeered. "You just want the pretty girls to yourself, huh? All alone in this diner late on a Friday?"

"You're despicable," Brittany said through gritted teeth. "Get out."

Rick laughed, pressing himself against her body. She turned her face as he leaned in. "You don't call the shots here, Britt."

"I do. You heard the lady. I'm not gonna ask again. My next call will be to the cops."

"Do that, old man," Rick chuckled, walking away from Brittany to the end of the counter,

She took the opportunity to glimpse his cronies making their way to the other end of the diner, to the jukebox. Brittany spun around and grabbed Santana's wrist, coaxing her out of the booth gently. She kept one eye on Rick, thankful that Santana was following her.

Brittany pulled Santana in front of her, placing a hand on the back to gently guide her towards the door. Charlie gripped his gun, his eyes still on Rick, but they quickly met Brittany's and down to the take-away bag on the counter. Brittany grabbed it and quickly opened the door.

"Leaving so soon, Britt?" Rick called.

_Shit. I can't leave Charlie here by himself._

She pushed Santana out the door and handed her the food. "Promise me you'll go straight home," she said quickly, her eyes desperately searching Santana's.

The brunette's eyes went wide when she realised that Brittany wouldn't be following her.

"Santana, please. Just go home. Go straight home, ok? I'll be fine. Charlie just…he can't be alone."

Santana stepped forward, but Brittany stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "I _need_ you to go home. I won't let these guys hurt you. Ok? Please?"

"Britt!" she heard Charlie call behind her.

She felt two arms circle her waist and she felt her inside curl at his touch. Her eyes pleaded with Santana as she closed the door of the diner. Santana looked scared and worried and undecided, but Brittany stood her ground, letting Rick runs his disgusting hands roam all over her body so that Santana could leave safely.

_Go_, she mouthed.

Santana sent her the same pleading look that Brittany had given her a few seconds ago.

_I'll be fine. I need you to be safe_, she mouthed, indicating with her eyes what she assumed was Santana's car.

After what seemed like hours, Santana eventually turned and walked to her car. Brittany withstood Rick's advances until the brunette's car was pulling out of the lot. She elbowed him and shoved him off her.

"Get your disgusting hands off me, asshole," she hissed.

Her eyes met Charlie's and he had Benny set straight at Rick's head. She knew the gun was loaded, but Charlie wasn't a violent man.

"It sure didn't feel like you didn't want me touching you a few seconds ago, Britt," Rick said with a cocky smirk.

"Trust me, _Dick_, that wasn't for your benefit."

"Ah, I see what's going on here," Rick chuckled. "You've got it bad for the Latina chick. Aw, that's so cute."

Brittany set her jaw and didn't bother replying.

"Hmmm, I could've handled watching the two of you get it on," Rick said thoughtfully.

_Ugh, gross._

Brittany shoved him back and headed back to her booth, grabbing her phone and dialling 911.

"You calling your _friend_ back for a bit of fun, Britt?"

"Hello, 911. What is your emergency?"

"Yeah, hi. My name is Brittany Pierce. I'm calling from Charlie's Diner just off Hathaway Avenue about two blocks from the William McKinley Academy. There are some _boys_ here that are creating a disturbance and are refusing to leave. They're getting…handsy."

"All right, Brittany. We have your location. We'll send some patrols over as soon as we can."

"Thank you," Brittany said sweetly, hanging up the phone and glaring at Rick.

"You didn't really call the cops," Rick scoffed. "We aren't even doing anything."

Brittany grabbed the sugar shaker from her table and threw it against the counter.

"Now why did you go and do that, Rick?" she said in faux disappointment.

"Bitch, you did that, not me!"

Brittany picked up the two sundae glasses and dropped them on the floor. They shattered and she jumped onto the booth seta, not wanting to get glass on her feet.

"Oh, Charlie, these guys are being really destructive," Brittany said with a dramatic sigh.

Flashing lights became visible in the night sky and sirens were heard rapidly approaching.

"Fuck, get out of here," Rick snapped, opening the door and running to his truck. His cronies followed shortly.

Brittany didn't bother waiting to watch Rick peal out of the parking lot. She climbed over the seat into the next booth and jumped onto the floor, handing her hand out to Charlie with a smile.

"Britt," he breathed, letting Benny hang at his side. "You didn't have to do that."

Brittany shrugged. "Hand me the broom, please?"

Charlie just shook his head and turned into the kitchen. She heard Benny being put back on his perch and Charlie reappeared with two brooms. He came around the counter and handed her one. They'd just started sweeping up the mess that Brittany had caused when two cops cars screeched to a halt in front of the door.

"Everything ok here?" a cop asked, opening the door and looking around.

"They ran off as soon as I called the cops," Brittany said. "I'm sorry that you guys actually had to come out. It was just…"

"They were terrifying my patrons and being assholes," Charlie grumbled.

The cop sighed. "Did you catch any names or anything?"

"It was Rick, the hockey player from Carmel High," Brittany supplied. "I'm sorry, I don't know his last name."

"Ah, Rick 'The Stick'."

"Popular, I see."

"He's got a history of public disturbances," the cops said with a frown. "One more strike and he's off to juvie."

"Let's hope he plays the stupid card he's got multitudes of," Brittany quipped, continuing her sweeping.

"You guys gonna be fine by yourselves?" the cop asked.

Charlie nodded. "Thanks, Officer. I really do appreciate you coming out, even though it was a bit of a false alarm."

"I doubt it was," the officer replied with a wry smile. "And you're welcome, Charlie."

The door closed and Charlie went to lock it. They spent the next five minutes sweeping up the broken glass and sugar lying everywhere.

"Britt, what you did for that girl," Charlie began.

"It's cool, Charlie," Brittany interrupted. "She's…special. She's not like normal girls."

"I could tell from the way you were looking at her," Charlie said quietly.

Brittany sighed quietly. She knew that she cared about Santana and that anyone who threatened her would get an earful or fistful. This was the third time she'd flown off the handle because of Santana. And honestly, she'd do it again. Santana was a precious gem and Brittany would make sure that she was ok, no matter what.

Within ten minutes, the glass had been cleared and Brittany started clearing the tables.

"Britt, what are you doing?" Charlie asked in disbelief.

"Helping you close up. I think you need an early night," Brittany said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah," Charlie said quietly. "Maybe you're right."

They worked in silence for a while.

"How do you even know what to do?"

Brittany smiled and winked at him. "Quinn and I have been in here more than enough times when you've closed up. I know your routine backwards."

"I think I should hire you," Charlie teased. "My clientele would definitely increase with the pretty view."

Brittany giggled and slapped Charlie's arm. "That summer after sophomore year was more than enough waitressing for me. Maybe one day when I'm broke and can't dance anymore I'll come back to my second favourite place in the world."

Charlie gasped in fake hurt. "Second?"

"You know the studio is my favourite. I spend more time in there than I do in my own bedroom."

"That's true," Charlie commented. "So, you're getting ready for the winter showcase then?"

Charlie was well aware of the structure within the walls of McKinley, hearing Quinn and Brittany talk about it over the last three years enough. She nodded and they lapsed into a comfortable silence.

"Britt, I got the rest of this. You go home, ok?"

She sighed and nodded. She was suddenly exhausted. The day had seriously been a crazy one, up and down and emotionally draining.

"I'll pay for Santana's food as well," she said, grabbing her keys, purse and phone from the table.

Charlie snorted. "You honestly think that after what happened, I'm gonna let you pay for anything?"

Brittany smiled and pulled out three twenties from her purse and put them next to the register. "If I didn't pay, you'd go out of business, Charlie," she teased. "I'll be in for brunch tomorrow."

"As always," Charlie replied with a smile.

She and Quinn had a tradition (one of many), where they met at Charlie's at eleven every Saturday for brunch. Charlie had complained that he hadn't seen them over the summer due to Brittany's excursion to Broadway.

Brittany grinned as she unlocked the door and stepped outside. Charlie's was like a home away from home. She felt completely comfortable with being herself and Charlie really was like another father figure for both her and Quinn.

She knew that he was a widower, having lost his wife to cancer five years previously. They'd just opened the diner together and the doctor had dropped the bomb. The diner almost didn't survive with Charlie's wife's hospital bills for chemo and radiation and everything. They didn't have any kids, but Britt knew that Charlie had wanted a family so badly. When she and Quinn had discovered this, they were more than happy to be his foster daughters, so to speak.

Brittany slid into her car and pulled the door closed, leaning back and taking a deep breath. Her phone buzzed and she pulled it out. She smiled.

_Are you ok? Please tell me that you are? I didn't want to go. You shouldn't have made me. Are you ok? Santana._

She was glad that Santana had left. She couldn't have predicted what Rick would have done, but no way was she going to submit Santana to any kind of danger if she could help it.

_I'm fine. I told you not to worry. I'm glad you're safe. I didn't want anything to happen to you. Sweet dreams, Santana. Britt xoxo_

She turned the key and made the very short drive home. She saw that both her parents' cars were in the garage, which was a surprise. Her father was often away on the weekends for business and her mother spent her weekends at the spa.

"Hi, Daddy," Brittany greeted her father as she walked past the entertainment room.

"Evening, boo," he replied, glancing down at his watch. "Or should I say morning."

Brittany smiled. "Yeah, was just at Charlie's with Quinn and a…friend."

"Friend?"

She detected the curious tone in her father's voice and she winked at him. "Just a new student, Daddy. I'm gonna head up to bed. Evaluations were killer today."

"You'll tell us how it went at dinner next week?"

Brittany nodded and kissed his cheek. Every Wednesday, the three of them had a home cooked meal and sat down like a proper family. She cherished those moments. With their crazy schedules, it wasn't easy to find time to spend together, but they'd decided that this was an immovable standing date.

She opened her bedroom door and flopped onto her bed, lazily pulling off her clothes and snuggling under the soft duvet. The blinking light on her phone caught her attention and she opened up the new message from Santana.

_I was worried. I was…scared. I didn't want anything to happen to you, either. Sweet dreams, Brittany._

She grinned. She'd definitely be having sweet dreams.

* * *

"Holy shit, B! Now I feel like crap cos I left you there alone."

"Ok, first, I appreciate your attempt at matchmaking, even though I may just be infatuated with someone who won't ever reciprocate. Two, if you'd been there instead, I'm pretty sure I'd be bailing your ass out of jail right now. And third, I'm totally fine. No one got hurt."

Brittany continued searching through her closet for something to wear to Sugar's party that night. She had her phone cradled between her shoulder and ear.

"Yeah, you're badass, Pierce, whatever," Quinn teased. "So how'd it go with your lady love?"

Brittany rolled her eyes. "Not my lady love, Q."

"Oh, please. You're completely head over heels for the girl. It's so glaringly obvious. Were you able to actually form sentences this time?"

"Well, believe it or not, most of our communicating was done with gestures and…um…our eyes."

Quinn burst out laughing. Brittany huffed and abruptly ended the call, tossing her phone onto her bed. She heard it ring again, but Quinn could suffer not speaking to her for a few hours.

She spent the rest of the morning relaxing in her room, listening to music – although nothing held a candle to Santana's music now – and trolling the social media sites. Not that she was stalking the girl or anything, But Brittany was surprised to find that Santana didn't have a Facebook or Tumblr page. At the same time, she could understand.

A memory of the previous night flashed in her mind and she quickly opened up a new tab in her browser and searched for sign language. After a few minutes of scrolling through multitudes of pages, she finally found out what Santana had been trying to say.

She tapped the side of phone thoughtfully before deciding to bite the bullet. She opened up a text and typed.

_Just figured out what you said to me with sign language last night, and you're very welcome. Do you have plans tonight? My friend's having a party and I thought you might like to come?_

Brittany chewed on her bottom lip for five minutes as her phone remained idle. Frustrated with herself, she rolled off her bed and played the song from her evaluation. Her body immediately responded and she redid the routine. Dissatisfied with a lacklustre performance, she set the song on repeat and just lost herself, trying to forget about the distraction that was Santana Lopez.

After an hour of dancing, Brittany was feeling quite a bit lighter and she glanced over at her discarded phone on her bed. The light was flashing and she slowly made her way over to pick it up. Two unread messages.

_I know. I'm a bitch. I'm sorry. It's totally cute how much you're crushing on the junior. I've never seen you like this and it's part of my mandate as your best friend to tease you mercilessly. So I am sorry, but get used to it ;p See you at seven, slut._

Brittany rolled her eyes. It was as much of an apology as she was ever going to get from Quinn Fabray. The fact that she'd actually said _I'm sorry_ was unheard of. She took a deep breath and opened the next one.

_I'm sorry, Brittany. I don't think I'll make it tonight. Thank you for the offer, though. I'll see you at school. Santana._

She flopped on her bed, hating how disappointed she was. Did she really think that inviting Santana to a party would be a good idea?

_Well done, Britt. Put a mute girl in a social situation where alcohol will be consumed and people's natural mean streaks come out and play. Real stellar performance. Brava._

She groaned to herself, realising how stupid and naïve she'd been to ask Santana. _Obviously_ she would decline. Besides, who said that she even wanted to go with Brittany if being mute wasn't a very clear deterrent?

Feeling exceptionally guilty, Brittany replied quickly.

_I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, Santana._

She shook her head to herself and quickly stripped out of her shorts and wife beater. She grabbed a bikini and dressed before heading down to the pool, leaving her phone on her bed and ignoring the blinking light.

* * *

"You ok?"

"Fine," Brittany replied shortly, rolling some mascara onto her lashes.

Through the mirror, she saw Quinn arch a disbelieving eyebrow.

"Drop it, Q."

"I didn't even pick anything up," Quinn replied with a smirk. "But since _you_ did, what's eating you?"

"Nothing," Brittany insisted.

"I call bullshit. You haven't checked your phone once in the last two hours I've been here and I think you've had about three buzzes. You never ignore buzzes."

"I ignored your buzz."

"That's fine. I knew you'd forgiven me so I didn't bother with a follow up. Besides, that's so not my style."

She saw Quinn reach over and grab her phone from her nightstand. Before she could unlock it, Brittany had snatched it away.

"Your best friend status gives you access to the majority of my life, but I don't appreciate you looking though my phone without my permission, Q."

Quinn's jaw dropped. "You're kidding me."

Brittany just glared at her, the alluring blinking light visible out of the corner of her eye.

"It's Santana, isn't it?"

Brittany just turned around, slipping her phone into the pocket of her denim shorts. She focused on finishing her make up.

"You never don't tell me what's going on, B. So…what's going on?"

"Nothing."

"Is that the problem?"

"No, my stupid imagination is the problem. No matter how much I _know_ that we'll probably never be anything more than friends, my imagination just comes up with all these scenarios to torture me and I fucking hate it. I had a momentary lapse and gave into one of these fantasies, thinking for a second that maybe I could offer her something unique. But clearly I'm just delusional."

"She shot you down?" Quinn asked in disbelief.

Brittany's silence was answer enough.

"Well, we are _definitely_ getting drunk tonight," Quinn declared. "And I'll totally be your wingwoman."

Brittany shook her head. "I don't want another drunken hook up," she muttered, her mind flitting back to Rick and the disaster that came from _that_ mistake.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm really not in the mood."

"Which is why we'll be drinking."

"I'll drink. But nothing else."

Quinn shrugged. "Fine. At least you can take comfort in knowing that you'll be going home with some guaranteed hot booty."

Brittany sent her a pointed look and Quinn grinned.

"I didn't say you had to _do_ anything with my guaranteed hot booty. Such a shame to waste an entire night sleeping in the same bed…well, _sleeping_."

"Oh, Q. You don't know how to give up on a lost cause, do you?" Brittany teased, feeling a little less disappointed about the whole thing with Santana as the familiar banter between her and Quinn kicked up.

"Baby, why would I give up? Perseverance is my greatest ally. I know all your weaknesses."

"Yeah, well you currently don't fit the description of my biggest weakness," she mumbled to herself.

Quinn caught it though. Damn her sharp ears! "I could totally pull off a wig."

"God, that is wrong on _so_ many levels."

Quinn chuckled as her phone chimed. She glanced down at the screen. "Kurt demands that we get our asses to Sugar's right away because his gay is fading in amongst the overwhelming heterosexuality."

"Jesus, between the two of you, you're more dramatic that a Broadway show."

"Well, I guess you'd know, wouldn't you?" Quinn teased, smacking Brittany's ass as they grabbed their bags and headed out.

* * *

"Druuuuunk," Brittany groaned, leaning her head on Quinn's shoulder. "Where are we?"

"Bathroom. You need to cool off. I'm not dragging your unconscious ass home."

"Quinnie, are you drunk? Cos you don't sound drunk. You cry when you're drunk. You totally shouldn't be sad, though."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, at least you're not at that level where your clothes come off."

"Yeah, but you like it when I do that," Brittany purred, pinning her against the sink.

Quinn chuckled. "Britt, I thought you didn't want any drunk hook ups."

"You're not drunk," Brittany pointed out.

"Perhaps. What happened with your little speech yesterday before laser tag?"

"I don't remember that long ago," Brittany mumbled, leaning down to nibble on Quinn's neck.

She felt her friend sharply take in a breath of air and she smiled against the clammy skin. They'd spent the better part of the last two hours dancing with each other. Because they were Brittany and Quinn, their bodies were always very close together and, to the casual observer, the intention was clear – they were together.

Thankfully, most of the people at Sugar's party were well aware of Brittany and Quinn's history with each other and that they were just friends.

"B, you're gonna regret this tomorrow," Quinn said, stepping away from her. "Drink some water and let's wash your face, ok?"

Brittany pouted, but obeyed. Quinn busied herself redoing Brittany's hair, pulling it into a stylishly messy ponytail so that it was out of her face.

"Feel better?" she asked, once Brittany had splashed some water on her flushed skin.

She sighed and nodded before turning and sitting on the lid of the toilet. "Why does this shit have to be so complicated?" she muttered, dropping her face into her hands.

"Just read the messages, B. Maybe she told you why. Or maybe she even changed her mind and is waiting for you downstairs."

Brittany's head flew up, her eyes wide. "She wouldn't, right? I mean, she said no. Why would she change her mind?"

"Because _maybe_ she's crushing on you too? You'll never know if you don't read those messages, B."

Brittany frowned in deliberation. She hadn't yet checked her phone for fear of more disappointment. She pulled it out of her pocket, the blinking light mocking her. She took a deep breath and unlocked it. She set her jaw once she'd read what the alerts were and locked her phone, quickly putting it away again.

"Well?"

"Two emails and two Facebook notifications." Brittany stood up abruptly. "Whatever. I know that my feelings aren't going to change, which means I'm doomed to a year of hell being in love with someone who wants a silent friendship."

Quinn's eyes widened as Brittany's words echoed off the tiles. The dancer, however, didn't seem to realise what she'd said and opened the door. Quinn shook herself and quickly followed, ignoring the knowing smirks from the girls waiting in line for the bathroom.

* * *

The next day, Brittany spent a few hours on her homework. It was her Sunday tradition. Quinn had left after a very greasy breakfast, hiding her hangover behind big dark glasses. After their bathroom discussion, neither girl had held back on the drinking and Brittany vaguely remembered stumbling home close to four am, with a sobbing Quinn on her arm. She still had no idea where her shirt had disappeared to.

The evening was spent doing a few laps and vegging in her bed, catching up on her TVO'd _Vampire Diaries_.

Her phone chimed and she picked up, assuming that it was from Quinn, no doubt complaining about how her empty house was far too loud.

To her surprise, it wasn't from Quinn.

_I hope you had fun last night. In hindsight, I should've said yes._

Brittany blinked in disbelief. This thwarted all of her rambling the previous day. Did she want to have gone because she wanted to meet people? Did she want to have gone because of some inspirational gain she might have found? Did she want to have gone because of…her?

She shook her head of the torturous thoughts. Speculating was doing nothing but driving her crazy. She would never flat out ask Santana if she was interested. If it were any other girl, she totally would have already sweet-talked her, but she couldn't do that with Santana. She wouldn't. She was different. She was everything. She let herself smile a little as she typed out a reply.

_Next time. It was fun, but it would have been better with you there. Britt xoxo._

* * *

**A/N: Chapter 3! It's been forever, I know. Hope you like – would love to hear your thoughts :)**

**A thought that I've been having surrounding this 'Wedding Of The Year' picture that has everyone digging out their pitchforks may earn me an unfollow or five, but it's just my opinion. I think at this stage, we're all aware of how Ryan Murphy enjoys messing with the fans at times, especially the different fandoms. I've accepted this. Perhaps he's a little drunk on the power and success brought on by **_**Glee**_**. I dunno… ANYWAY, just because Britt and Sam are in the photo with that caption, everyone immediately assumed that it was related to them. Um, does anyone else remember a couple who are engaged to be married? Hence, the 'Wedding Of The Year'. He did it to get a rise and he succeeded.**

**I have faith in our Brittana endgame. And apparently, so does Quinn ;)**

**Back to _A Silent Song_ - there will definitely be a sequel and I've decided to stick with Britt's POV for this story and maybe, if the readers demand it, I'll write this from Santana's POV (_Santana's Song_). Your opinions are of great value to me :D**

**-H**


	4. Wonderful

**A/N: Apologies for the extensive wait. Life, blah, blah…**

**BUT! Happy birthday to me! And my birthday gift to you is an update on all three stories :)**

**Much love :)**

**Never fear, my faithful readers, this is definitely a Brittana endgame (duh ;p) and there will be a lot more interaction between them from now on. As this story is from Brittany's point of view, I felt it was important for you to get a better understanding of her character. I hope I've succeeded in this thus far :)**

**Onward and up!**

**-H**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee :( (If I did, I still wouldn't make Santana mute…come on…who doesn't love that amazing singing voice?)**

* * *

**CHAPTER 4: Wonderful**

Brittany collapsed on her bed. It had been an exhausting Monday at school. She had been inside her head all day after her morning evaluation report with Mike.

_Brittany stood in front of her mentor, hands on her hips expectantly. Their relationship was such that pleasantries were pretty much non-existent._

"_Well?" Brittany prompted._

_Mike glanced up at her from the folder that he held. She knew it had her scores and comments from all the judges._

"_What made you decide to change our performance?"_

_Brittany sighed. "I'm tired of playing it safe. What's the point in attending this school, getting the kind of exposure that I am, the opportunities afforded to me, if I'm just going to do the same thing every year? I told you last week, Mike, I'm looking to be the best well-rounded dancer that I can be."_

"_You do realise that you meshed two completely contradicting styles of dance?"_

"_I do. And I did that on purpose. There's so much to be said about the components of each. On paper, they're completely different and shouldn't work together. But I made them work together. That's what I want to do, Mike. My ultimate dream is to create a totally unique style of dance that pushes the boundaries."_

_Mike just nodded._

"_Sooo…?" Brittany asked, raising her eyebrows._

"_Well, some were concerned that you don't know what you've gotten yourself into. Personally, I thought it was great." He handed her the sheet and her eyes greedily scanned the page._

_The rushing disappointment crashed over her. She just handed the file back to him and turned away._

"_Where are you going?" Mike called._

"_Admin office. I need another eval arranged."_

"_I already did that."_

_Brittany stopped and turned around, trying desperately to quell the unusual hurt that she was feeling. She wasn't used to failing. She was Brittany Pierce. She was the star. She didn't get Bs or Cs. She sure as hell did _not_ crack Ds on evaluations._

"_Don't worry about the score, Britt."_

"_How can I not?" Brittany burst out. "Mike, a D is like a frigging F in this world."_

"_I know that. That's why I arranged another evaluation for the end of the week. You gonna be ready?"_

_Brittany sighed. "If I do another mash up, I'm gonna get the same mark, aren't I?"_

_Mike shrugged, but Brittany knew him well enough to know that she was right._

"_Will you work with me then?_

_Mike nodded. "It's gonna mean long hours, Britt."_

_Brittany scoffed. "As if my dedication to my dancing has ever been a problem."_

_Mike just turned to put the file in a drawer. "Be here at four."_

"_See you after lunch," Brittany amended, walking out of his office._

Mike had been brutal. Brittany hadn't really expected any less, though. Most of the first three hours were spent with correcting her posture. She was in the bets shape that a dancer could be, but she could feel her muscles aching. Ballet really used so many more muscles than she'd expected.

The ringing of her phone forced her to sit up and lean back against her pillows.

"Fabgay," she greeted.

"You ok?"

"Tired."

"Did you only get home now?"

"Hmmm." Brittany yawned.

"Britt, I know you want this, but for the purposes of graduating, why don't you reconsider your ideas?"

Brittany was silent for a long time, many different emotions running through her.

"B?"

"I can't believe you're asking me to do that," she eventually snapped. "Just because you got your usual fucking A and you're content with your performances doesn't mean that I'm just as happy to settle."

"Britt, that's not-"

"Q, I _need_ something more! Don't you get that? I'm just another dancer amongst millions in New York. I need to have something extra."

"Brittany, listen to me. In no way was I insinuating that you're not good enough or that your performance wasn't astounding because it completely was. I'm not asking you to settle! You know that Juilliard don't only look at your audition tapes though, right? They look at _everything_. Which means that this D could have a serious impact."

"I fucking know that. I'm not an idiot."

"Jesus, did I say you were? You're incredibly difficult to talk to like this, you know that?"

"Fine."

Brittany ended the call and rolled over, burying her face in her pillow. Her friendship with Quinn was always up and down, but they always made up. It was kinda the beauty of how they worked.

"Hey, you," a familiar voice said at her door.

"Hey, sis," Brittany replied, her voice muffled by her pillows.

"You look pooped."

Brittany turned her head. "That's one way of describing it." She sighed. "I got a fucking D on my eval, Rach."

She heard Rachel take a sharp breath in and the bed dipped as she sat down. "What happened?"

"Apparently my style is too out there for the dinosaurs that judged me. I've got another one on Friday and Mike's training me all week long to do a total ballet performance."

"That sucks," Rachel sympathised. "You knew it was a risk from the get-go, Britt."

"Yeah, I just didn't think I'd get a D. Everyone who saw it said they loved it."

"Who saw it?"

Brittany could hear the curiosity in Rachel's voice as though she'd screamed it from the rooftop.

"Well, the judges, obviously. Quinn was in the wings. And Santana. Not sure how she saw it, but-"

"Who's Santana?"

Brittany sighed. "She's perfect,"

"Oh, really?" Rachel chuckled. "Do elaborate."

So Brittany did. She told Rachel everything about Santana, about every second of the three and a half interactions that they'd had and how she made her feel, not only when she played.

"Hoo boy," Rachel murmured when she'd finished.

"Tell me about it. I can't help it. I'm drawn to her. It's difficult to explain."

"No, I get it," Rachel almost whispered.

Brittany sucked her bottom lip into her mouth as a pained expression crossed her sister's face. "Rach," she began.

"Oh, I think Mom's calling us down for dinner!" Rachel said quickly, standing up. "Plus, I gotta get back to Finn. He's, um…yeah. Bye, Britt!"

And then she was gone. Brittany shook her head. Her sister's love drama with her best friend would have to wait until next week. She had an incredibly important evaluation that demanded all of her attention.

* * *

The week flew by for Brittany. Virtually every second not spent in her academic classes was spent in the studio with Mike, perfecting the routine they'd come up with (well, mostly Mike) to impress the judges at her make-up eval.

Mike was a great teacher and Brittany considered herself extraordinarily lucky to be trained by him, but she _hated_ how robotic everything felt. Every arabesque, every chassé, every plié and every pirouette felt…pre-ordained. It didn't feel anything like what Brittany had felt with Santana or with her two previous performances. She had to suck it up because she knew that this robotic, unfeeling dance would probably get her the A that she'd received for every single evaluation she'd ever had at McKinley.

"Ok, Britt, I think we should leave it at that," Mike said, eyeing her with his critical eye that most people cowered under, but Brittany was so used to.

"Mike, I've got twenty hours until the eval. I need to practice. I'm still not connecting that grande jeté to the piqué smoothly enough."

Mike chuckled. "Britt, considering that you've only really be trained in ballet for a week, you're doing really well. And that movement is fine."

"Fine isn't good enough!" Brittany suddenly snapped.

Her mentor raised his eyebrows. "Brittany, you're going to be fine tomorrow. I need you to go home now. It's late and you should get a good night's sleep."

Brittany stepped away from the bar she'd been stretching against and had a staring contest with Mike. Eventually she huffed in resignation. Without another word, she grabbed her bag and walked out of the room.

She wasn't ready to go home, not by a long shot. She felt completely disconnected with the dancing that she was doing and it was a really horrible unsettling feeling that she didn't like.

She didn't like it one bit.

Brittany sat down outside the music wing on her way to her car (not that she had any intention of going there) and hurriedly untied the tight bows of her ballet shoes. Her feet were hating her. She'd never had so many blisters on her feet at one time in her life.

_It's worth it. You're getting the training you've wanted for years and you're going to get that A. This dance…this dance…_

She couldn't continue as tears fell thick and fast down her face. Why did it feel so hopeless? Why did she feel like she was selling her soul? And _why_ did she wish more than anything that Santana was next to her at that moment?

Brittany dropped her head onto her knees and cried quietly. She let the tiresome and stressful week overwhelm her. She wept at how she hated feeling so empty when she was dancing. _Dancing_. Her greatest passion in life! It wasn't meant to be empty. It wasn't meant to be meaningless. It was everything.

She wasn't sure how long she sat there for, but she did feel a little lighter after her crying session. She knew what she wanted more than anything in the world at that moment. She pulled out her phone and bit her lip as she hesitantly typed a message.

_Hi. I know this is a strange request…Do you have some of your music that you could send to me? I just need to escape and your music is the best thing to help do that… Britt_

She just hoped that Santana wouldn't consider her a creep or weirdo. She figured that someone who lived for music the same way she did (albeit in a different way) that she might understand what she meant.

She continued taking off her slippers and flexed her cramped toes painfully. She would definitely need another soak tonight. Luckily, her mom had done ballet for a big part of her teenage life, so she knew all about taking care of the injuries that came with the demanding style of dance.

Her phone vibrated next to her and she jumped in fright, almost forgetting that it was there. She nervously picked it up.

_Are you still at school? You've been training quite late this week. I'm in my usual room if you want to join me?_

Brittany grinned and quickly pulled her other shoe off, forgetting her sensitive feet as she ran with her usual light steps towards Santana's secret room.

She'd noticed that Brittany had been training late! What did that mean? Was Santana as curious about her as she was about Santana? Did she look for her in the halls? Brittany felt a little giddy as she entered the wing with the music rooms and immediately felt herself relax as she heard Santana playing the piano. She calmed her breathing and hesitated outside the door, closing her eyes and just letting the beautiful music wash over her.

_This_ was what she needed. This was what she wanted to dance to. Brittany walked inside the room and dropped her bag quietly next to the door. She met Santana's warm gaze and returned her smile. The brunette didn't stop her playing and her eyes flicked to the open space, silently encouraging Brittany to do what she wanted to.

Brittany definitely didn't need a second invitation. Any pain in her feet dissipated as she launched into now practised movements. The stiffness of the routine that she'd perfected over the week now seemed so much more fluid and easy.

Was it Santana's music? Or was it simply Santana? Brittany didn't really care which it was. She just cared that she felt at home again. She felt happy as she moved across the floor. Once again, she lost track of how long she danced. Santana didn't seem to mind; she just continued to play piece after piece.

As Brittany paused for a moment, she met Santana's eyes and the young girl quickly finished. She placed her hands on her lap and looked at Brittany expectantly. The blonde was trying to get her breath back, but found that the Latina was stealing it just as quickly.

"I'm assuming you know that I have another evaluation tomorrow," she eventually said quietly.

Santana glanced down at her hands and nodded.

"Would you play for me? Please? I know it's a lot to ask…" Brittany bit her lip nervously.

Brown eyes met hers and a beautiful smile graced Santana's face as she nodded again. Brittany smiled back in relief.

"Ok, great. Um, it's at four in the auditorium."

Another nod.

"Ok… It's pretty late. Are you ok here by yourself?"

Santana shrugged and turned back to the piano, running her hand across the shiny ebony gloss. The way she was looking at it was almost…wistful.

"Someone as talented as you should surely be able to play at home?" Brittany inquired.

Santana nodded slowly and then shrugged. Brittany sat down on one of the chairs opposite the piano and studied the Latina.

"It's not the same though, is it?"

Santana looked up.

"There's something about this school, about being in that creative space that is purely there for the honing of your talent, that can't be fulfilled anywhere else."

She smiled and nodded.

Brittany shrugged. "I have a space as big as this in my room with mirrors and a bar and music and everything, but I still prefer staying late in my little room."

Santana cocked her head and held up her thumb and index finger to indicate small. Brittany giggled quietly, partly because Santana looked utterly adorable with the slightly confused look on her face and partly because she loved that she could understand her.

"Yeah, I use one of the small rooms right at the end of the wing. It's secluded, kinda like this," she indicated the room they were in. "I may be a big shot or whatever, but I don't need a huge studio to do what I love."

Santana nodded eagerly and leaned forward, her hands twitching. Brittany smiled.

"I think it's cool that we seem to understand each other," she said softly, glancing down. "I know you want to say something back." Her eyes widened and she looked up. "I-I mean, with your hands. You know, the si-sign language. Shit," she breathed.

She heard Santana snap her fingers and she looked up. The brunette was giving her the A-ok sign, which made her smile and roll her eyes.

"Ok," she said, standing up. "We should decide which piece of music we're gonna use for my performance tomorrow."

Santana turned back to her sheets of music and shifted through the multitudes. Brittany was surprised that she actually still had so many. She never saw her glancing at them once when she was playing. She was suddenly presented with a page and she glanced at the title.

"_Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini_?" She looked at Santana, who nodded enthusiastically and turned the page slightly so that they could both look. Brittany was suddenly very aware of how close they were and she closed her eyes automatically, savouring the Latina's perfume. God, it smelled so good. _She_ smelled good.

The snapping of fingers caused her eyes to jump open and her cheeks went red. She cleared her throat subtly and looked at what Santana was pointing to. On the top left of the page, she'd written _violins_.

"You want to use violins as well?" she queried. "I doubt Sue would let me, especially on such short notice."

Santana shook her head and walked over to a really complicated looking machine fastened to the wall behind the piano stool. Slowly, she got up and stood next to Santana, looking at all the buttons. Her eyes widened.

"Hoo boy. This looks way too complicated."

She saw Santana's shoulders shake again and the young girl had a smile on her face as she played around with a few buttons. Brittany didn't even attempt to understand what she was doing, so she glanced at the sheet music again. It was a beautiful piece; she could tell. Very flowing and melodic – exactly what she wanted. It would help to ease out the rigidity she felt doing the routine.

"Thank you for helping me, Santana," she said quietly. "You really are one of a kind."

Brittany thought she could see a shade of red blooming on tan cheeks, but it was hard to tell for sure. A soft brush of her fingertips would register any heat, though…

_Snap out of it! You may be head over heels for this girl, but she's not like any of the other girls at McKinley._

Brittany shook herself mentally. Of course. She couldn't use any charm or tricks with Santana. She had to be genuine. Well, honestly? She wanted to be genuine. She didn't want to push her. She definitely didn't want her feeling uncomfortable in any way whatsoever. And brushing her really, _really_ soft looking cheek would probably freak her out and then she'd just be the weirdo who tried to hit on the musical prodigy.

Santana clapped her hands together softly and pushed a big red button. Nothing happened though, and she spun around to sit at the piano. She seemed to be in her own world and Brittany just watched her, mesmerised. She reached back for the music and Brittany handed it to her, their fingers brushing for the barest of instances. It was enough to send a glorious tingle up Brittany's arm and down her spine. The way Santana paused momentarily told her that she'd felt it too.

It made her grin like an idiot.

Santana spread the sheet music across the stand and swivelled, hitting a black button. She turned back and started playing. The soft melody started filling the room and Santana played louder until the sound of violins emanated from the machine and Brittany blinked in surprise. It sounded brilliant. She just listened the first run through, completely in awe of the music that Santana was able to create. Not that it was hers; Brittany knew a Santana original from another composer's. But how she incorporated the other instruments while she played the piano as perfectly as she always did was astounding.

"Wow," she breathed as Santana finished the last note with a soft smile. "Santana, that was…wow. It's perfect."

The brunette gestured the floor and turned around to presumably reset the recorder or whatever the hell that machine was. She waited for her pianist's cue as was accustomed. As soon as the first note flew from beneath Santana's fingers, Brittany launched into her routine. She had a smile on her face the whole time and it felt wonderful. For the first time that entire week, she was enjoying the routine that she was doing.

And no matter what anyone said, it was all because of the young girl sitting at the black piano and looking the most peaceful that Brittany had ever seen anyone look before. It was inspiring and she threw herself into the routine with more vigour and passion than she had the entire week.

The timing was a little out at the end; Brittany's routine was about thirty seconds longer than the piece of music, but Santana simply waved away her queries and picked up a pencil that was lying on top of the piano and made a few notes. She got up and fiddled a bit more with the machine and tapped her foot absently against the floor. Brittany just sat and watched her. It was wonderful, watching an artist go about their work. She knew it was going to be amazing, so she didn't concern herself with the intricacies of what Santana was doing.

She spun around to face Brittany and chewed on her lip.

"You can try sign language," Brittany offered. "I'll do my best to understand."

Santana smiled shyly and lifted her hands then shook her head, reaching for her phone on top of the piano and started typing away furiously.

Brittany frowned in frustration. She really needed to learn sign language. And fast. Her phone buzzed from where it rested on top of her bag and she walked over to pick it up.

_For now, this will be easier. I can change the music to fit the length of your performance. I won't be able to get it done completely tonight, so would it be ok if we just went through it once or twice tomorrow? I was going to come in early anyway. Maybe during lunch we could practise? If anything's off, then I'll have time to adjust it. Are you ok with that?_

Brittany lifted her head and smiled, nodding. "I trust you completely, Santana. You do whatever you think is best."

Santana returned the smile and put her phone back on the piano, sitting down again. She help up one finger and pointed to her watch before swirling the same finger around again.

"Once more so that you can time it?" Brittany asked.

A happy nod made Brittany grin widely. She clapped her hands and stood in her starting position. She made sure to concentrate on the music and timing it to her dancing, but either Mike must have some kind of superpower or Santana's choice of music was just unbridled (not that Brittany doubted that for a second), but the choreography fit perfectly with the melody. She knew that she should probably be doing the practice performance with her slippers on, but she wasn't bothered. There wasn't a difference in her timing with or without her shoes on. She and Mike had perfected it without the shoes first so that it was second nature with them on.

The violins stopped, but Brittany continued, as did the piano. Brittany smiled to herself. She'd love to know how Santana's mind so quickly worked out a new piece. Then again, the same could be said for her working out a new routine.

She came to a graceful end and Santana finished on the last note.

"Perfect," Brittany breathed, standing up straight and smiling at Santana, who nodded in agreement.

A loud buzzing from the top of the piano made Santana roll her eyes and Brittany wrinkled her nose at how cute it was. Her brows furrowed as she put her phone up to her ear. She was taking a phone call? But…how?

She watched as Santana sighed noiselessly, the heaving of her shoulders a dead giveaway. Every now and then, her thumb would press something on her keypad as she continued listening to whomever was on the other line. After about two minutes, she ended the call and ran a hand agitatedly through her hair.

"I'm sorry if I was keeping you from something," Brittany apologised quietly.

Santana whirled around and shook her head fervently.

"Oh, ok. But you do have to go, right?"

She nodded with a disgruntled frown. Brittany tried not to smile at how cute she looked when she was trying to be angry. She couldn't ever imagine Santana Lopez angry at anyone or anything.

"Ok, well I should probably go too. How about we walk out together?" Brittany offered.

Santana met her eyes and smiled, nodding after a moment. Brittany jumped up a little, unable to contain her excitement at spending a little more time with Santana, even if it was just to her car. The two girls gathered up their things and Brittany waited at the door, leaning against the frame as Santana walked around the room, checking that she had everything. She realised how creepy it was that she could watch the young girl do just about anything, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

Damn, she really was falling hard.

Santana was in front of her and those captivating dark eyes held hers for a few moments and Brittany could swear that they were trying to convey something to her.

_If eyes could talk, huh?_

She stepped out into the hallway and let Santana switch off the light and pull the door closed behind her. There weren't many lights on due to the late hour and Brittany felt Santana grip the back of her sweatshirt.

"Don't worry," she whispered. "I won't let anything happen to you."

Santana just fisted her shirt tighter and Brittany started heading to the parking lot. One of the security guards waved at her and she returned it. Most of them were so used to her practising late that she'd gotten to know most of their names. She wasn't about to shout it out like she normally would for fear of startling Santana. She got the feeling that Santana had an obvious fear of the dark, and she wasn't about to aggravate it.

They reached Brittany's car, but Santana still held onto Brittany's shirt tightly.

"Where are you parked?" she asked softly.

Santana just pointed to the opposite end of the lot. No way was Brittany letting her walk that distance by herself.

"Would it be ok if I drove you to your car?" she offered.

Santana swallowed and nodded quickly, her eyes on the darkness around them. Brittany frowned in concern, but just walked slowly around to the passenger side and unlocked the car. She opened the door for Santana, who finally let go of her shirt to climb in. Brittany closed the door as gently as she could and quickly jogged to the driver's side. Something about Santana's behaviour just told her that she didn't want to be alone. Once Brittany was inside her car, she turned on the inside light and started the car, reversing slowly and making her way to Santana's little hatch.

Brittany's mind was half focused on the road and half racing about why Santana was so obviously scared of the dark. Or maybe it was the school? Or the parking lot? Why on earth would she stay at school so late if either of these things terrified her? She'd have to deal with them at some point.

She pulled up next to Santana's car, but the brunette made no move to get out of the car. Brittany turned to face her, but Santana was looking out the window and her breathing seemed really quick. Brittany didn't know what was bothering Santana, but all she knew was that she was going to do everything that she could to make sure that Santana felt safe around her.

"Santana?" she queried quietly.

It didn't seem as though she'd been heard and Brittany was hesitant to touch her with how jumpy she seemed.

"Santana," she said in a normal tone.

Dark hair whipped around and those dark eyes bore into hers. Brittany swallowed at their intensity.

"Your car is right there. If you'd like, I can follow you home to make sure you get there ok? Or I could take you home now? Seeing as how we've got to prepare for tomorrow, I could come and fetch you in the morning."

Santana took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.

"Whichever you prefer, ok?" Brittany's voice was back to being soft, and she was careful to ensure that it wasn't patronising.

Santana shakily grabbed the seatbelt and pulled it across her body. Brittany understood the message and did the same, putting her car back into drive and pulling off.

"When last did you eat, missy?" Brittany scolded playfully. "I bet you get like me, totally lost in your music and you forget what time it is."

She glanced sideways at Santana, who was looking down sheepishly.

"Ok, well, how about I treat you to some dinner? If you don't have to be home right away?"

Santana fiddled with her phone, which was in her hands, for a few moments before nodding.

"Awesome. I'm starved. You ok with Charlie's?"

Santana nodded again.

Brittany figured that the best approach was to act like everything was normal and that Santana hadn't had a little breakdown in the parking lot. But it wasn't surprising to Brittany that she would do whatever it took to make sure that Santana felt safe with her. She'd never been a knight in shining armour or whatever and she knew immediately, the moment that she'd seen uncertainty flicker in those dark eyes, that she wanted to protect Santana at any cost. She'd done it last Friday night and she'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Because Charlie's was so close, it felt like ten seconds before Brittany was pulling into the lot. She made sure to park where Santana could see inside the diner and underneath a light so that they could see the car.

"One second," Brittany murmured, turning the car off and unbuckling herself. She grabbed her purse and jumped out the car, jogging around to open Santana's door for her. She got out on her own and seemed to be a little more at ease with all the brightness of _Charlie's_. And it was bright. Brittany always thought it was kinda tacky, but she was never more grateful for Charlie's taste in décor than she was at that moment.

"Shall we, madam?" she asked in a horrendously overdone British accent, offering her arm. It did the job, though – she saw a small smile on Santana's face before she turned it away shyly.

_Nicely done, Pierce._

She walked them up to the door and opened it for Santana to step through first. As she followed suit, a thought suddenly struck her.

Was this a date?

* * *

"Britt!" Charlie called from his usual spot in the kitchen. "Haven't seen your gorgeous mug all week? Ah, and you brought some equally gorgeous company with you this eve."

Brittany rolled her eyes and waved at Charlie. She doubted she'd ever get used to his harmless flirting. She guided Santana to the same booth they'd sat in previously (unofficially her booth) with her hand barely resting against the small of Santana's back. She knew it was courteous, but the simple, almost non-touch was still setting the butterflies aflutter in her stomach.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd had butterflies. A grin crawled onto her face as she decided that she kinda liked it.

"Hmmm," Brittany mused as she peered at the menu that ran above the counter. "What are you in the mood for?" she asked Santana.

The younger girl simply shrugged, focused on her fingers.

"Hey," Brittany said softly. She waited until Santana looked at her. "I know that something's going on in that beautiful and brilliant head of yours, but know that I won't ever push you to divulge something that you don't want to. So, I'm here if you need anything, ok?"

She saw the grateful look in Santana's eyes and she smiled. "Now, Miss Lopez, I have a feeling that you would decimate a Grade C Cheeseburger. Oh, wait," she added with exaggerated drama, "you're not like a…you know…?"

Santana's lips curled up in a genuinely amused smile and she cocked her head. Brittany leaned forward and lowered her voice as though they were discussing a big secret.

"You're not a…vegetarian, are you?" she whispered.

Santana sat up and did her noiseless chuckle. She shook her head.

"Whew! Damn, if you were, I think our friendship would have had to end right here and now. I can't be seen with someone who's afraid to take on the Grade C Cheeseburger."

Santana smirked and raised an eyebrow and Brittany had to subtly squeeze her thighs together because _holy shit,_ it looked sexy.

"So, what do you say to a little friendly competition, Lopez? Think you can take me on."

Santana pointed at her and moved her thumb downwards slowly.

"Oh, really?" she replied with a smirk of her own. "We shall see, Lopez. I'll have you know that I hold the record here for finishing the Grade C Cheeseburger the quickest. 7 minutes 13 seconds. And I wasn't even hungry that day."

Santana just nodded slowly, obviously seeing right through Brittany's macho bravado. The blonde didn't care, though. Hell, she didn't even care if Santana beat her record (although that would be hella difficult). She'd do pretty much anything to ensure that those beautiful dark eyes remained fear free.

"Hey, Britt," Jackie, one of the regular waitresses greeted her. "And Brittany's friend," she added with a friendly smile.

"Jackie, Santana. Santana, Jackie. Santana goes to McKinley with me."

"Oh, awesome. Another brilliant artist to add to the ranks. Pleasure," Jackie said with a nod. Santana returned it with a smile. "So, what can I get you two lovebirds?"

Brittany instantly went red. "Oh, um…no, we're not together. Well, I mean we're _here_ together, but we're not together, like…" She took a deep breath, "Fuck. Um, Jackie, could you get us two Grade C CBs with all the dressings and, um, I'll just have a water. Santana?" Brittany was utterly embarrassed, but stole a look at her companion, knowing that it was probably more awkward for her because she couldn't say anything to defend herself. She got a short nod, but Santana's eyes were downcast. "Uh, yeah, so two waters then. Thanks, Jackie."

The waitress gave her a knowing smile before walking off and Brittany ran a nervous hand through her hair. She'd love it if she could shout from the rooftops that she and Santana _were_ lovebirds, but that wasn't going to happen. And Santana knew about her reputation. Jackie had now created an unnecessarily awkward situation for her.

"Santana," she began softly, but the Latina's hand just came up and she shook her head. "No, look, it's not what you think. I know this isn't a date." _Well, now I know_. "We're just friends. And I don't want you to think that I bring girls here all the time because…well, I don't. In fact, it's mostly just me and Q."

Santana simply gave her a pointed look and Brittany hated that uncertainty that was creeping back into the alluring eyes she could stare into for hours.

"Ok, yeah, bad example. Look, I'm not gonna lie to you. I don't want to do that. You already know about my reputation…and my reputation with Quinn. Most of it is, unfortunately, true. But Quinn and I are just friends. We were never anything else."

Santana just looked at her, arms folded defensively and Brittany hated how closed off she was.

"I don't date. I never date. Quinn is pretty much my only real friend. Well, and my sister, but that's a whole messed up situation on its own. Um, what I'm saying is that I can't undo what I've done in the past. I just want you to know that the person you've met and who you're, hopefully, getting to know is really me. It's not a game, it's not some façade to trick you or anything because I would _never_ do that to you. You-" Brittany bit her lip and stopped herself from saying something that would definitely scare Santana off.

She took a breath and focused on her own hands as she wrung them. She heard a soft snap and lifted her head to meet Santana's eyes. Slowly, Santana pointed at her chest, then her temple, clasped her hands together in front of her then pointed at Brittany.

_Ok, I know that means something. Think, Brittany, think!_

"I…something…you?" she asked hesitantly.

Santana nodded. She repeated the middle sign. Brittany stared at her hands and wracked her brain. She found it easier trying to think of what Santana meant. But she didn't want to assume incorrectly and look like an ass.

"Um…trust?" she almost whispered.

Santana shook her head and her two hands around some invisible rod or something in response.

_Hmmm…she's teaching you, Pierce._

"Trust?" she asked in clarification, mimicking the sign.

Santana nodded, then repeated her earlier sign. Brittany sighed, furrowing her brows in concentration. Something about the mind? Clapping of hands…would that mean agreeing? Agreeing!

"You believe me?" Brittany asked, her eyes wide.

Santana smiled a small smile and nodded, dropping her eyes.

"Wow," Brittany breathed. "Thank you, Santana. I can't tell you how much that means to me."

Santana lifted her hand to her temple in what seemed like a salute, but she touched her brow twice.

_Crap! Another one. Ok, focus_

Something mental again, right? She thought about an appropriate response to her comment. Her eyes brightened.

"I know!" she said proudly.

Santana smiled widely and nodded, clapping her hands.

"Teach me more?" Brittany asked.

Santana bit her bottom lip and glanced at the table. She held up her phone and Brittany nodded. She extended her thumb and pinkie finger and put them up to her ear.

"Ok, well I think that was fairly obvious," Brittany giggled.

Santana smiled and rolled her eyes. She placed her palms flat against the table and knocked against it. Brittany raised an eyebrow. Santana moved her arms in front her chest horizontally, one resting on top of the table. Brittany cocked her head. "Are you doing a Russian dance?" she asked with a smile.

Santana chuckled and shook her head. She knocked the table and did the sign again.

"Ok, ok, I get it. Table."

They continued like that, Santana teaching the signs for random things in their near vicinity.

"Water?" Brittany asked when Jackie had brought the two bottles. She took a swig of hers.

Santana held up a hand as if to say she wasn't sure. She pointed to their bottle and gave the sign. Brittany nodded. Santana held up a finger and scooped up some condensation on the bottle. She rubbed it between her two fingers and, with her other hand, brought her index and middle fingers perpendicularly to her bottom lip.

"Oh!" Brittany said in understanding. "First one was a bottle of water and the second was just water, right?"

The smile that crossed Santana's face made the butterflies flap around in Brittany's stomach happily. She smiled back and took a sip of water.

"Here you go, ladies," Jackie said, depositing the two plates in front of the girls. "Enjoy."

Brittany burst out laughing at the horrified look on Santana's face as she eyed the monstrous burger in front of her. The Grade C Cheeseburger had not one, but _two_ 500g beef patties with two slices of cheese, garnish on a roll that Charlie baked himself. Plus a side salad and fries. It really was a whopper.

"Think you're up to the challenge, Lopez?"

Santana did that smirk and raised eyebrow, which made the smile on Brittany's face freeze.

_It's seriously not fair how hot she looks when she does that._

She repeated her earlier sign of Brittany going down and the blonde tried _really_ hard to keep her mind away from the gutter. She stared at her burger for a few seconds until she'd gotten herself under control.

"Ok, so the rules are, you have to eat the whole burger. Buns, garnish, everything. We'll leave the fries and salad for dessert." She winked.

Santana pushed sleeves back to her elbows and sat forward in anticipation. Brittany had to giggle. It was too cute how eager she was.

"Oh, and no barfing," she said seriously. "Ready…" She held Santana's gaze. "Set… Go!"

It wasn't a pretty sight and seven minutes plus change later, Brittany just stared as Santana licked off her fingers in triumph.

"Holy crap. That was unbelievable."

Santana grinned and took a swig of water. Brittany dropped the two bites left of her burger and sat back, groaning. Her stomach felt like it was about to burst. She hadn't had a Grade C Cheeseburger in a while and she was definitely out of practice. Not to take anything away from Santana.

"You were like a vacuum. You just inhaled that thing."

Santana chuckled and shook her head. She pointed to the bathroom and Brittany nodded.

"Well, guess she knocked you off your pedestal," Jackie commented as she stopped by their table.

"She's knocked me alright," Brittany murmured, her eyes following the smaller girl.

"Oh my God, does she know how bad you have it for her?" Jackie teased.

"No!" Brittany said suddenly. "And you can't say anything, please! She's…special, ok? She's really special."

Jackie smiled knowingly. "Honey, I knew that the minute you two walked in here. You've never looked at anyone the way you look at her."

"How…how do I look at her?" Brittany asked nervously. She didn't want Santana to see these looks and freak out.

Jackie lifted a shoulder. "Like you'd jump in front of a freight train to prevent anything from happening to her."

"Well, I would," Brittany replied immediately. "I can't let anything happen to her."

"Ah, young love," Jackie said dramatically, gripping her shirt and staggering away.

Brittany chuckled and saw Santana's phone light up. It was still lying on the table. She glanced at the screen and saw that someone named Holly was calling her. She bit her lip. Did she answer? Crap! What if this was the same person that called earlier and now was worried because Santana wasn't home yet? She knew she'd be worried.

Santana slid back into the booth and picked up her phone, rolling her eyes as she answered. She did the tapping thing on her screen as the person on the other end spoke.

Brittany held out her hand in an offer to take over the phone call and Santana bit her lip before nodding and handing her the phone.

"Hello?" Brittany asked.

"Holy Sweet Jesus!"

"Sorry. I guess you weren't expecting a voice on the other end. I'm Brittany, Santana's friend from school."

"Hi, Brittany. I'm Holly, Santana's aunt. I was just getting a little worried because she told me she was leaving school half an hour ago and she's still not home. You know…we worry."

"Yeah, no, I totally get it," Brittany replied. "It's my fault, actually. I knew she hadn't eaten so I kidnapped her and brought her to _Charlie's_ about two blocks from the school. We've been here ever since."

"Oh, ok. Well, I'm glad she's ok."

Brittany chuckled. "Yeah, she just killed my record here at _Charlie's_, but I think I can forgive her."

Santana stuck out her tongue, but smiled nonetheless.

"Record?" Holly queried.

"Oh, my record for finishing a Grade C Cheeseburger."

Holly laughed. "Yeah, for someone so tiny, she sure as hell puts a lot away."

"Hmmm, you're right about that," Brittany said, looking at Santana teasingly. Her eyebrows went up then furrowed. Brittany knew she was wondering what they were talking about.

"Anyway, Holly. I won't keep her out too late. I'll have her home in the next half hour."

"Oh, does she not have her car?"

"Well, she stayed late to help me with an evaluation that I have tomorrow and we're heading through early tomorrow morning to polish it off, so I figured the least I could do was take her home and fetch her with promises of coffee."

Santana grinned. Brittany figured she loved her coffee.

_Good guess, Pierce._

"Ok, awesome. Well, I guess I'll be meeting you soon then."

"Yup. See you soon, Holly."

"Bye, Brittany."

"Byeeee!" Brittany sang before hanging up the phone. She handed it back to Santana, who quickly fired off a text. "She sounds cool."

Santana smiled and nodded.

"I think I've met my aunt maybe like three times in my life." She shrugged. "They got all pissy when my folks hit the big money and she just realised how fake they were."

Santana looked at her with interest, her phone discarded next to her.

"Oh, I guess I'm delving into my family history now, am I?" Brittany asked.

Santana just smiled.

"I bet you could cure cancer with that smile," Brittany muttered, but the shy look that crossed Santana's face told her that she'd heard her. Whoops. Oh, well. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to leave little hints here and there for the Latina to clue her in on how smitten Brittany really was.

"Anyway," Brittany continued. "It's just me and my parents in our frigging crazy big house. My sister, well adopted sister, Rachel lives with her fiancée a couple of blocks down. It's really quiet without her. She's a singer so there was always noise. She's fantastic and she's all set to head to New York as soon as Finn graduates."

Santana arched an eyebrow.

"Yeah, that's another depressing story for another time. My dad cashed in big time with an app he created. It's some business thing that I don't understand, but he did really well and my mom now gets to do what she loves – garden. Well, interior design. Or exterior design. Whatever it's called." Santana quickly typed on her phone and Brittany felt hers buzz.

_Landscaping_.

"Seriously, how do you type that fast?" Brittany asked in amazement.

Santana grinned and wiggled her fingers in front her face super fast and blew on them. Ok, fair enough, she was an incredible piano player. She had to be good with her fingers.

_Oh, shit._

Brittany got back on topic quickly. "Right, landscaping. So she loves doing all of that stuff. They always supported me, which was really cool. When I went to New York over the summer, they made sure that I had everything I needed. It makes a huge difference when you're surrounded by people who believe in your talent."

Brittany's eyes had travelled down to her hands during her speech, and when she lifted them to meet Santana's, the Latina looked sad.

"Shit, Santana, I didn't mean to…I mean, I don't know if…I'm sorry."

Santana just shook her head and breathed in deeply. When she looked up again, her eyes were still as captivating as they always were, but there definitely a guard there.

"I meant what I said earlier," Brittany said softly, holding her gaze. "No pressure to divulge anything you're not comfortable with. That's not why I'm here. If you want to share your secrets, then I'll consider myself lucky that you trust me with them. But you're my friend and we're just two friends getting to know each other, right?"

Santana nodded slowly.

"Ok, great! Unfortunately, I did tell Holly that I'd get you home, so we should probably head out soon. I don't even know where you live."

Santana nodded again, but Brittany could tell that her earlier happiness had been lost.

_Crap, Pierce. You need to cheer this girl up pronto. You can't drop her at home all sad! Holly will think you've done something to her!_

It was a little confusing for Brittany how quickly Santana's moods changed, but perhaps that was because she couldn't voice her thoughts and emotions like most other people.

"Hey, Jackie," Brittany greeted as they reached the register. She opened her purse and pulled out some money. She didn't need to look to see Santana pulling out her own purse, but she gently placed a hand on top of hers accompanied with a gentle smile.

"Next one's on you, Lopez. I want a rematch."

_Score_! she thought as a smile flickered across the Latina's lips.

"Bye, Charlie!" she called, her hand automatically resting against Santana's back again as they turned to the door.

"Leaving so soon?" Charlie asked with a pout.

Brittany laughed. "Early morning, Charlie. I'll see you at seven for two morning coffees."

"It's a date."

She laughed again and opened the door for Santana before she could even reach for it. The puzzled look she sent Brittany threw the blonde and she had to pause for a second in confusion before following Santana to her car.

The ride was silent, with Santana pointing out directions every so often. Within ten minutes, Brittany had pulled up outside a modest brownstone and turned her car off.

"What time tomorrow?" she asked Santana, trying desperately to break the sudden awkwardness she felt between them.

Santana showed her seven on her fingers and Brittany nodded. The Latina opened the door and got out. Brittany tapped her steering wheel in frustration and opened her door.

"Santana, wait!" she called, grabbing her arm.

Santana jumped away and Brittany immediately felt bad.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to scare you. I just…did I do something wrong? I feel like…I feel like I have."

Santana sighed and shook her head.

"But something's bothering you. And it's something to do with what I said. I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to upset you."

Santana shook her head again and stepped forward slightly. From the light from the sidewalk lamps and the house's outside lights, Brittany could see that damn uncertainty in her eyes again.

She sighed sharply, but more at herself. "Santana, I'm your friend, ok? I don't expect you to tell me everything about your life within a week of us really knowing each other. I would never ask that of you. Just…I'm here, ok? And I'm not going anywhere."

Before she could register what was happening, Santana had leapt into her arms, her face buried in her neck. The blonde caught her easily and held her tightly. There was clearly _so much_ that Brittany didn't know about Santana's life and why she reacted the way she did sometimes. The fact that they were hugging right now was pretty frigging incredible by Brittany's book.

Santana started to fidget slightly, even though her arms were still tightly around Brittany's neck, so the blonde released her grip slightly and let her feet touch the ground again. Santana quickly released her and stepped back, looking uncomfortable. Her breaths were quick.

"Hey, hey," Brittany cooed, careful not to move forward or reach out to her, even though she really wanted to. "It's ok. I won't let anything happen to you, Santana. I promise you that."

They stayed like that, an arms length apart, with Brittany trying to catch her gaze, but Santana not being able to hold it for long.

_Ok, something has definitely happened in this girl's past to make her untrusting and scared. She needs a friend, someone she can trust. I'm going to be that person for her if it's the last fucking thing I do._

"Why don't you go up to bed?" she suggested softly. "I'll wait until you're inside before I go, ok? And I'll text you when I get home too."

Santana nodded very slowly, but didn't move. Brittany sensed that she needed some reassurance about something.

"And I'll be here at 7am bright and early. We'll go and pick up some coffee from _Charlie's_ – seriously, it's amazing – and then we'll head back to school and you can work your magic on that huge, recording box thingy."

_There!_ It was a small curl of the lips, but she'd take it.

"Night, beautiful," Brittany said with a smile. "Off you go. I'll wait right here."

Santana nodded and turned to the house, her steps becoming more confident with every pace. She reached the front door and put her hand on the handle before turning back to Brittany, who simply smiled and waved from the spot she hadn't moved from. The Latina returned it, making Brittany's heart beat a little faster, and opened the door, disappearing inside the house.

She couldn't stop herself from doing a little dance on the grass before jumping back into her car. Her smile was huge. Santana had hugged her. Like full on jumped in her arms hugged her.

This was pretty much the awesome day ever. She glanced back up to the house and saw a light go on in one of the upstairs rooms. She started her car up again and pulled off, feeling happier and lighter than she had the entire week. It amazed her what being in Santana's did to her. Even though the girl obviously had some issues, it didn't matter to Brittany. Santana was still the most beautiful, most talented, most amazing girl with the most gorgeous smile and mesmerising eyes one the planet. And there was no way she was going to give that up without a fight.

She turned her stereo on and sang loudly to some top ten chart. Hey, at least she knew the songs. She pulled up into her driveway, bopping her head to Ke$ha's new song and killed the engine. The blinking light of her phone from where she left it in the console caught her attention. She smiled when she saw it was from Santana, and her heart soared when she read the words. This was the best fucking day of her life.

_You are wonderful._

* * *

**A/N: Enough Brittana? :)**

**It is with a heavy heart that I conclude this chapter with the following:**

**I am taking another hiatus. This time, it's indefinite. I'm going cold turkey on fanfic (gonna be so difficult) to focus solely on my manuscript. I've mentioned this to a few reviewers already, but for the benefit of everyone, this is not something I'm doing lightly. I love writing fan fiction. More than finishing my manuscript at the moment. However, if I **_**ever**_** hope to achieve my dream of creating a career in writing, I need to focus on what will get me there – enter my manuscript.**

**I'm going cold turkey because it's too distracting to still read alerts and reviews because then I want to reply and I get ideas etc etc…this is what happened last time and that didn't last very long, did it? :/**

**Please accept my sincerest apologies, my dearest readers. Your support means the world to me and I **_**promise**_** that I will be back – you couldn't tear me away if you tried :) I just figure that without the distraction of Brittana (ugh, torture), my manuscript will get done quicker. And I have an incentive now too – to get back to you guys.**

**I'm uploading new chapters on all three fics at the same time to help ease into the hiatus.**

**Once again, I love you all and you mean the world to me. I'll see you soon!**

***cue theme music***

**Fade out…**

**Aaaaaand scene!**

**-H**

**Twitter: HellsBells1313 :)**


	5. The good and bad of being in love

**A/N: Hello, my lovelies! :)**

**Didja miss me? Cos I MISSED YOU! :)**

**Hope you all had a fantastic Christmas, New Years, Hanukkah, shrimp tasting and EVERYTHING for everyone :)**

**Much love for the last chapter. I'm really glad you're enjoying this story as much as I'm enjoying writing it.**

**One reviewer mentioned that they felt that I was belittling ballet by Brittany's attitude towards it. In a public setting, I would like to apologise to big-quench. In no way do I think that ballet is an unfeeling dance. I think it is absolutely beautiful and ballerinas are probably one of the most talented group of people in the world. For the purpose of this story (a fictional story), I have Brittany not enjoying ballet as much as she enjoys her other dancing. That's not to say she hates it. Keep in mind that she was also frustrated about getting everything right because, yes, as you mentioned, everyone does a form of ballet when they're younger and a dancer. I don't believe I mentioned that this was the first time EVER that Britt has done ballet. She just hasn't done it to the degree that most people have. And, having Mike as a teacher, he's obviously WAY more advanced. And as for the dancing without ballet slippers – noted :) I shall find a way to change that in the previous chapter :)**

**I never want to offend anyone with what I write, so I do apologize if I have offended anyone else. If I have, drop me a line and I'll be more than happy to explain the reasons behind why I write what I write :)**

**I'm a writer, not a dancer, so I could use correction if I mess up. There's always room to learn :)**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy the next instalment :)**

**Onward and up!**

**-H**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee :(**

* * *

**CHAPTER 5: The good and bad of being in love**

Brittany pushed herself onto the edge of the pool and the smile that had been permanently etched onto her face since she'd woken up an hour before. She felt rejuvenated, energised and ready to take on the world.

All because of Santana Lopez.

She grinned again and stretched her arms out as she sat on the edge, swinging her feet in the water. After playing her routine around in her head a few times, she reluctantly stood up and grabbed her towel.

"Morning, Mom!" she called cheerily as passed the kitchen.

She heard Victoria chuckle. "You're unusually cheerful for six am."

"I'm always in a good mood, Mom."

"True. This is…more, though."

Brittany rolled her eyes and backtracked into the kitchen. Her mother's eyes widened when she saw her face.

"What?" Brittany asked self-consciously.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she squealed, walking around the counter and playfully hitting her daughter's arm.

"Uh, Mom? Is there something funny in your fruit salad? What are you talking about?"

"Oh…" Victoria mused, looking at her thoughtfully. "You don't know yet."

Brittany sighed in exasperation. "Obviously not, otherwise I wouldn't be asking you!"

"But then I'll be ruining the surprise."

"So you're not going to enlighten me?"

"I don't know."

"Ugh!" Brittany threw her hands up and tossed the towel over her shoulder. "Fine. If you decide to let me know what's churning in your brain, just shout."

"Ok, ok!"

She turned around and looked at her mother expectantly.

"So, is it a boy or a girl?"

Brittany immediately looked down, her cheeks turning red. "A girl," she mumbled.

"Ha! I figured as much. Why haven't you mentioned her at all?"

"I dunno. I mean, we're just friends. And we've only really known each other for like a week."

"A week? And you're already in love with her?"

Brittany's head shot up. "I…what?"

Victoria smiled warmly. "It's all over your face, Britt."

"Well, I do really, _really_ like her. But…love? How…I mean…?" Words failed her.

"Hey, when the right person comes along, time doesn't mean anything."

Brittany had to smile at that. "She's just…she's amazing, Mom," she whispered. "She's so talented and beautiful and she makes me laugh and give me butterflies. I mean, _butterflies_. And her eyes…I could stare into them forever."

Victoria chuckled. "Yup, definitely love, honey. So, do I get to meet your new lady love at some point?"

"I doubt it. She's really shy. She doesn't do well with strange situations."

"Oh. Well, that's a shame. I'm assuming she goes to school with you?"

Brittany nodded. "She's a junior. A musician. She's a composer, actually." She smiled as she remembered their first meeting and how she'd been blown away by Santana's music. "Her music…it's amazing. It hits me. Like, we have this connection with it. She plays her music and I dance to it and we're in our own little world," she gushed.

"Wow, how did you _not_ realise that you're in love with her?"

Brittany shrugged. "Because I have a feeling it's going to be one-sided."

"Oh, sorry, honey. Does she not swing your way?"

"I don't know. Maybe. We don't really…talk. Well, not about that kind of stuff anyway. We're still getting to know each other."

"Talking is good."

"Yeah…" Brittany chewed on her bottom lip. "Santana doesn't…she doesn't talk."

Victoria shrugged. "You said she's shy. Maybe she just needs a little time to really open up to you."

"No, she…she's mute, Mom."

Victoria just stared at her. "Really?"

Brittany nodded. "But we've found a way to communicate with each other. Sort of. Well, we understand each other."

"Are you learning sign language?"

"Slowly. Santana's really patient with me. But I am learning."

"Santana, huh?"

Brittany flushed again. "Yeah. Santana Lopez. She's a junior. She's helping me with my re-eval today and my winter showcase. And hopefully my final showcase as well. But we'll get there later."

"She sounds very special, sweetie."

"She's the most special."

Victoria grinned and pulled her daughter into a hug. "I'm really happy for you, Britt. I hope that Santana can see how enamoured you are and put you out of your misery."

Brittany chuckled and returned the hug. "I'm willing to wait, Mom. She's so different. She understands me. I haven't lied to her, not once. She knows about my reputation, and it's clearly difficult for her to trust. I've told her that I'm going to always be there for her, though. No matter what she needs."

"You're definitely in love," Victoria confirmed, pulling away and bopping her nose.

"If I am, then I understand why people write songs and books about it. It's wonderful."

"Yes, it is. Now, you'd best go get ready for school if your re-eval is happening this afternoon. Will you let me know how it goes?"

Brittany nodded and turned to walk out of the kitchen. "Hey, Mom? Thanks."

"Anytime, Britt."

* * *

Brittany wrung her hands as she stood on Santana's porch. She hadn't yet rung the doorbell. She was nervous. She'd never done the whole meet the parents thing. Well, in this case, the meet the aunt thing. Not that Santana was her girlfriend or anything.

_Crap._

She lifted her arm and pressed the white button. Within five seconds, the door swung open and a really tall blonde woman looked at her.

"Hi," Brittany said, a little confused. Was this Santana's aunt? She didn't look like she could possibly related to her. "Um, I'm Brittany. I'm here to pick up Santana."

"Brittany! Glad to finally meet you, hot stuff. Come on in."

_Jovial._

_Hang on. Did she just call me hot stuff?_

Holly stepped back and Brittany walked inside. She paused in the hallway and looked around. It was nice. It was homey. It was just the kind of environment that she figured Santana needed.

"Hey, sweet cheeks!" Holly called up the stairs. "There's a gorgeous blonde down here waiting for you!"

Brittany flushed and fiddled with her keys.

"So, you and Santana, huh?" Holly asked, folding her arms and arching her eyebrow.

Her eyes widened. "Um, no, no. Just friends."

"Uh huh," Holly replied, unconvinced.

"Really, we are,' Brittany whispered, dropping her eyes. "I would never make her feel uncomfortable with anything. I mean, _I_ am. Bi, I mean. But, we're just friends."

_Verbal diarrhea. Why can't I speak normally?_

_Oh, God. I just told Santana's aunt that I'm bi._

"Another bicorn, huh? Join the club." Holly winked at her and Brittany couldn't stop her jaw from dropping. The older blonde laughed. "Santana isn't my biological niece. Her real aunt is my partner who's out of town on business at the moment. But we're one big happy family."

Brittany smiled. "That's awesome. I'd love to meet your partner one day."

"I have no doubt you will. Especially if Santana keeps going on about you like she has."

_What? Santana… She…_

Brittany's insides were doing flip flops and roly polys and jumping up and down. She grinned widely.

"Aha! I knew it. You do have a thing for her," Holly said knowingly.

Brittany leaned closer, glancing towards the stairs in case Santana overheard her. "Between you and me?" she whispered. "I'm totally crazy about her."

Holly's smile was big and it made Brittany feel a little more at ease.

"But that's also why I won't ever pressure her to do anything. She needs a friend right now so that's what I am. I'm letting her set the pace. But…well, she's very special to me."

"Hot stuff, you just passed the test with flying colours," Holly stated, slipping an arm around her shoulders. "At least I'll feel a lot happier knowing that Santana's with you."

Brittany grinned and her attention was drawn to footsteps coming down the stairs. Santana came into view and Brittany's heart immediately started pounding. She breathed in quickly as she met her eyes. Santana looked refreshed and she had a big smile on her face. Brittany was sure that there was one on hers that matched it.

"Good morning, lazy buns," Holly teased.

Santana stuck her tongue out at her aunt and descended the rest of the stairs, her foot tripping on the last one. Brittany reacted immediately and took quick steps forward to catch the young girl before she hit the floor. Her arms went securely around Santana's waist and she hoisted her carefully to her feet.

Santana lifted her head and their eyes met. Her hands were resting on Brittany's arms and it felt, to the blonde anyway, like this was way more intimate than their hug the previous night.

_Wow, she's really close. And she's so beautiful._

Brittany suddenly remembered where she was and the boundaries she'd resolved to keep and quickly stepped back, releasing Santana.

"You ok?" she asked quietly.

Santana just nodded, almost like she was in a trance.

"Shall I go and get a butter knife to cut through this sexual tension or what?" Holly deadpanned.

Both girls flushed and looked away.

Holly chuckled. "You two are hopeless."

Brittany couldn't hide the shit-eating grin that crept onto her face. According to Holly, it seemed as though Santana was kinda, sorta, maybe into her? Best. News. Ever.

"Um, we should get going," she said, clearing her throat. "Holly, should I give you my number in case you need to get hold of me?"

"Hot stuff, I like you." Holly handed her phone to Brittany, who quickly programmed her number in.

"Well, Holly, I'm flattered, but I'm kind of a one woman girl," Brittany teased back.

"Oh, snap!" The older blonde chuckled. "Take care of her."

Santana glared at her aunt, but Brittany just smiled. "I will."

* * *

"So, Holly's…interesting," Brittany commented as she pulled away from the curb outside Santana's house.

Her companion just rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Hey, it's a rite of passage for every teenager to have one embarrassing family member. Lucky for you, you only seem to have one."

Santana smiled and pointed to her.

"Mine? Oh, my whole family." Brittany chuckled. "But we're all goofy and crazy like that. We may live in a huge house and have far too much money, but we haven't changed much from who we were before my dad made it big."

Santana nodded thoughtfully and they spent the rest of the drive to _Charlie's_ in a comfortable silence. It was difficult for them to talk anyway because Brittany couldn't always look at Santana to see what she wanted to say. But it worked for them.

Brittany couldn't help but start to hum absentmindedly as they neared the diner. She looked at Santana when she'd parked the car and saw her with an adorable smile on her face.

"What?" she asked self-consciously.

Santana just grinned wider and pointed to fingers to her mouth and moved them outwards in a wave motion. Brittany frowned in confusion and Santana simply repeated the movement a little slower. When she suddenly realised what the Latina had heard, she flushed and looked down.

"Sorry, it's a habit when I'm in the car," she mumbled.

Santana tugged on the sleeve of her loose sweatshirt. Brittany met her eyes shyly. She moved one hand around her face and Brittany had learned enough sign language to know what that meant. She smiled.

"Thank you, Santana." She glanced at the clock on the dash. "Shall we go and get us some coffee?"

Santana nodded enthusiastically and Brittany unbuckled her seatbelt, quickly getting out of the car and jogging around to open Santana's door for her. She wasn't sure where her chivalry had suddenly come from, but she was a girly girl and all girls liked romance. She really didn't mind being the one providing it if it meant that Santana would continue to smile at her like _that._

Santana slipped out Brittany's car and watched as she closed the door, locking it.

"Right, prepare to have your taste buds tantalised. Charlie seriously has the best coffee in Lima. Maybe even in Ohio." Brittany guided Santana easily to the door, her hand automatically dropping to rest lightly against the small of her back. "I was in New York for three months and nothing even came close to Charlie's coffee."

Santana looked eager as Brittany pulled the door open, the bell jingling their arrival.

"My two favourite customers!" Charlie cheered from his position in the kitchen.

"Morning, Charlie!" Brittany chirped and Santana waved.

"Two?" Charlie asked.

"Two," the blonde confirmed, slipping into their booth.

"Morning, girls," Jackie called as she breezed passed them to tend to the other tables. _Charlie's_ was always busy in the mornings, but Brittany loved the hustle and bustle. It suddenly occurred to her that Santana perhaps may not like the busy diner. She glanced at the young girl, but Santana was just looking around her with a contended smile on her face.

"It looks different during the day," Brittany commented.

Santana nodded and met her eyes. She had to forcefully suppress the sharp intake of breath at the effect that they had on her.

_You're hopeless._

_Totally am._

Santana started shaking her hands slightly and then pointed to her. Brittany frowned and shook her head.

"Are you scared, Santana?" she asked quietly. "I can take you somewhere else if this is too busy or-"

She was cut off by Santana grabbing her hand. Brittany stared down at where their hands were now connected. It felt like her skin was on fire, but in the most delicious way possible. Santana's tanned skin colour contrasted beautifully to her pale tone.

_Like caramel and vanilla._

Brittany couldn't stop the smile creeping onto her face at the thought and it grew slightly wider when Santana didn't move her hand after a while. Eventually, the blonde lifted her head and met the dark eyes that captivated her so much. Santana had a smile on her face too and it made her heart thud ten times louder.

_I can't be reading this wrong. Could I? I'm pretty perceptive. The way she's looking at me now and what Holly said… Could she…?_

It didn't actually matter if Santana liked her (but _score_ if she did) because Brittany was adamant to earn her trust completely before embarking on anything more than friendship. And if Santana decided that she wanted more than friendship, then Brittany would wait for_ her_ to make that choice. She was pretty sure she'd wait forever.

_Mom was right_, Brittany thought as she lost herself in Santana's eyes. _I am totally in love with this girl._

After a few moments, Brittany felt herself blush and she glanced back down at their hands.

_Do I dare? Would it be too forward?_

After how that morning had already gone, she really felt like luck was on her side. Gently, Brittany rotated her hand so that her palm was touching Santana's. She saw that Santana held her breath at the movement as well and she froze.

_Shit. Too soon?_

Instinctively, Brittany used her index finger to lightly trace the patch of skin where Santana's palm met her wrist. Her mom had always done that to her when she'd been upset or scared and the slight soothing touch always had calmed her down. Santana's shoulders relaxed and Brittany quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Soon, Santana's fingers were also moving slightly against Brittany's skin and it was quite possibly the most incredible feeling she had ever experienced.

Brittany moved her free hand towards their joined hands and started softly tracing her index finger up and down the skin on Santana's fingers. She smiled when the other girl visibly shivered. It was a little refreshing that she wasn't the only one so completely affected by a few simple touches.

"Here you go, girls," Jackie said, abruptly disrupting their little bubble with two cups of coffee.

Santana swallowed and gently tugged at Brittany's hand. The blonde immediately released it and she dropped her own hands to her lap. She hated that their moment was so fleeting. It had felt like hours, but in reality had only been about three minutes. And she'd done it in a public place! She was so drawn to Santana that she lost her judgement at times. She'd given herself a stern pep talk that morning before fetching the Latina about respecting her boundaries and making her feel comfortable. And the first thing she'd done was hold her hand in a public place.

In her peripheral vision, she saw Santana reach for the coffee and add sugar. Her eyes were still fixed on her lap. What if Santana pulled away even further now? They'd made such great progress in twelve hours, but Brittany had gone and ruined that by letting her desire for Santana overrule her basic logic.

She sighed quietly. She knew this was love, more than ever. She'd never fallen so hard so fast. She didn't she'd ever really fallen for someone before if this was how it was supposed to feel. Even though she knew that it had probably not been a good idea, she couldn't help but feel her insides warm at the feeling of Santana's skin against hers. Her palm still burned and Brittany found herself ok with that. Even if she never got to touch Santana again, at least she knew what it felt like.

It felt like the best feeling in the world.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she pulled it out. She frowned and looked up at Santana, who was watching her curiously.

_Is there a reason why you're not looking at me?_

Brittany swallowed and suddenly felt incredibly nervous. She slowly pulled her coffee cup towards her and added a little sugar. As she stirred, she lifted her eyes to meet Santana's again and she bit her lip. She had promised herself to only ever be honest with her.

"I was scared that I might have pushed you too far too early," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, Santana, I promise. I just…when you…I…" She sighed in frustration and gripped her coffee mug tightly. "We're friends and I get that. I'm more than happy to be your friend. Sometimes, though, I just can't help myself."

Santana's eyes widened, but there was small smile playing on her lips. She slowly lifted her hand and joined her index finger and thumb into the shape of an o. It made Brittany smile a little and the worry in her chest dissipated somewhat.

But Santana wasn't done. She looked adorably shy and it just made Brittany smile wider as she watched her point to herself, signed what looked her plucking something from chest and then visibly paused, her eyes locking onto Brittany's and holding them there. The blonde could see that she was thinking hard about something or deciding something. Eventually, after taking a sip of coffee and looking at it surprisingly as she licked her lips. She nodded to herself and Brittany just watched the whole exchange with a loving smile on her lips.

Santana sensed that she was being watched and met Brittany's eyes again before lowering them and blushing. That hardly made Brittany's smile go away, though. Santana repeated her previous two signs and then, to Brittany's complete surprise, she reached across the table and grabbed hold of Brittany's fingers, her own lightly grazing the skin.

"Wow," Brittany couldn't help but breathe and she stared at the joined hands. Again. Their joined hands _again_.

She didn't know what Santana had said or tried to say. Her mind was completely focused on the fact the Santana had taken her hand _again_. Brittany was almost terrified to try and figure out what it meant, but she just swallowed and let her eyes flutter closed so that she could fully appreciate the sensation of Santana's fingers moving over hers.

She'd had sex numerous times, good sex, bad sex, and pretty fucking awesome sex. But _nothing_ compared to what she feeling at that moment. It almost felt better than an orgasm. The best part was that it felt right. So very, very right.

Brittany realised that she probably looked crazy to anybody around her – she was holding a beautiful girl's hand and smiling goofily with her eyes closed. So she blinked them open and met Santana's small smile. At the same time, they both dropped their gazes and looked at their fingers softly tracing over each other.

A snap made her look up again. Santana was doing that waving hand thing again. Brittany frowned and shook her head in confusion. Obviously it didn't mean scared. Santana bit her lip and her eyes darted around as she tried to come up with a way to explain what she was trying to say. She brightened as she got an idea and started moving the hand that wasn't being held by her own around to imitate a ballerina. Brittany nodded in understanding. Then she pretended to bite her nails.

"Oh!" Brittany chuckled. "Am I nervous about today?"

Santana nodded eagerly, happy that Brittany had figured it out.

The blonde pulled her mouth to one side in thought. "If you'd have asked me yesterday afternoon, I probably would've said yes. But now, definitely not. I can't be nervous when being around you makes me feel so confident."

She bit her lip, suddenly wondering if her honesty might be a little too much for Santana. "Sorry," she mumbled. "I want to be honest with you about everything, but it seems that sometimes I forget my filter."

The Latina just smiled and shook her head, flicking her hand dismissively.

Brittany took a deep breath. "If I haven't said it enough, thank you, Santana. I'm so lucky that I ran into you on that first day. I…I know it may sound really strange, but I felt a connection to you. I mean, I definitely feel like we connect through music and dancing, but when I saw you…I don't know…it's difficult to explain, but I guess if I'm blunt, not a day has gone by since then when I haven't thought about you."

Santana sucked her lips in and blushed.

"I hope that wasn't too forward of me to say," Brittany added quietly.

Dark hair bounced as she shook her head.

"Ok, good."

They remained in comfortable silence as they finished their coffee. Brittany glanced at her phone and pouted when she saw that they should probably head to school if Santana was going to have time to work on the music for her re-eval.

"We should get going," Brittany eventually suggested mournfully. She knew that the moment they entered McKinley, the little bubble that they'd created for themselves would burst and they'd have to go their separate ways.

Santana just nodded, but her eyes were a little sadder too. Brittany moved to pull her hand back, but Santana just held it tighter. That brought her smile back a bit. They slid out of the booth and Brittany dared to manoeuvre their hands so that their fingers slid in between each other and interlocked.

It felt perfect and Santana definitely felt whatever Brittany did because her dark eyes were sparkling.

"Come on, maestro. Let's get your creative juices flowing."

They reached the counter and Santana pulled money out her pocket before Brittany could even open her purse. Granted, she did only have one hand. Santana winked at her and Brittany pretty much melted on the spot.

"Bye, Charlie!" Brittany called as they headed to the door.

"Bye, ladies! Don't be strangers.'

"We won't."

The blonde grabbed the door and pulled it open for Santana who smiled shyly at her before stepping through, their interlocked hands ensuring that Brittany stayed close behind her. They reached the car and Brittany opened the passenger door for Santana. The Latina paused, glancing between their joined hands and Brittany's eyes.

Brittany risked stepping a little closer. "We can do this whenever you want, wherever you want, ok? If you'd rather hide this at school, that's totally fine. I respect any decision that you make."

Santana nibbled on her lip and Brittany's eyes flickered down to the movement. She willed them to lift again. The last thing she needed to be thinking about was kissing her. She doubted Santana was even close to ready for that.

But maybe…

"Would you be ok with me trying something, Santana?" she whispered.

Santana cocked her head, but nodded. Brittany took a breath and lifted their joined hands to her lips. She paused, allowing Santana the opportunity to pull her hand away. She didn't, though so Brittany pressed a light kiss to the back of Santana's. The tan hand clenched around hers momentarily. The kiss was brief and more a brush of the lips than anything, but Brittany could feel it throughout her body.

"Thank you," she whispered, slowly disconnecting their hands.

Santana smiled at her and climbed into the car. Brittany grinned back, shut the door and jogged around to the driver's side.

"Ok, let's go make some music!"

* * *

"The bell's going to ring for first period soon, Santana," Brittany called from her spot on a chair at the back of the little room. She was going over some History homework that she'd forgotten about. Well, she had been somewhat preoccupied the night before.

She glanced up from her notebook and saw the young girl plugging a device into the big machine that made all the cool sounds. Santana held up a finger and put some earphones in. Brittany settled back to watch her as she started playing the piece chosen for her dance. Santana transformed when she played and it was beautiful to watch. In fact, Brittany could probably watch her for hours, days even, and never get bored.

Ok, maybe the fact that she was in love with her may have something to do with it. Brittany grinned to herself. She loved the feeling. And she loved that it was because of Santana. She didn't pity the girl or anything like that, but she did think that Santana deserved to be loved. Like full on head-over-heels, tight chest, butterflies raging, clammy palms kind of love. The kind of love that she had. The kind of love that she couldn't wait to shower upon Santana.

She knew she probably had a long wait ahead of her. And she didn't actually mind. She'd wait forever for her.

Santana finished with a flourish and the triumphant grin on her face as she swivelled around and pushed a few buttons before disconnecting the device. She put it in her bag and turned to see Brittany watching her with a smile.

She sent her two thumbs up and the blonde shrugged. "Oh, I never had any doubt in you, Santana. You're completely amazing. I knew you'd figure it out."

The young girl blushed and shuffled around, gathering her music and books. She made sure to keep the sheet music for the re-eval to one side and put everything else in the chair. Once her bag was packed, she stood and looked at Brittany expectantly.

"Right! Bell! Totally knew that." She scrambled to her feet, stuffing her notebook and pen into her bag before walking over to where Santana was waiting. The Latina looked unsure of something.

"What's up?" Brittany asked softly.

Santana reached out and took Brittany's hand, swinging it between them shyly, then glanced at the door and her expression grew slightly fearful.

"Santana, we don't have to if it scares you or makes you uncomfortable, ok?" Brittany took a small step closer. "But I'm really happy that you want to."

Santana looked from their hands to the door about fifteen times before the bell rang sharply, causing her to jump and drop Brittany's hand like she'd been burned.

_Ok, so no surprises. Definitely doesn't like surprises._

"Hey, I'm here," she said soothingly. "We can wait a bit if you'd like?"

Santana shook her shoulders and huffed, seemingly irritated with herself.

"Hey, that bell scares the shit out of me too sometimes. Luckily, I don't always hear it because of my music. But is a bit of a shock to the system if you're not expecting it."

She got a grateful smile in return, but still looked hesitant about what to do once they left the room. Brittany would proudly walk the halls of McKinley holding Santana's hand, but it was possible that Santana didn't feel the same way.

_Shit!_

She hadn't even thought of whether Santana was even out. Whether it was as a bisexual or a lesbian. If she had even identified as either. She cursed herself for not being a little more sensitive to Santana's predicament.

"We can leave it for today," Brittany suggested. "You know where my hand is if you do want to hold it, ok?"

Santana eventually nodded slowly and they headed for the door. The hallways weren't very busy in the music wing, but once they hit the academic wing, it would be packed.

"What's your first class?" Brittany asked.

Santana reached into her bag and pulled out her diary. Inside the cover, her schedule was taped.

"I'm gonna need to get a copy of this at some point," Brittany mumbled to herself.

Santana nudged her shoulder questioningly.

"Oh, um…" The blonde flushed. "So I can walk you to class and stuff."

They grinned at each other. Brittany was pretty sure she was falling more and more each time Santana smiled at her.

"So, you've got Trig first." She made a face. "Blegh. Mr. Gibbs is _so_ boring. I'm pretty sure I fell asleep in his class at least three times a week."

Santana chuckled and shook her head. She took back her diary and pointed to Brittany.

"I've got American Lit. I actually like that class."

Santana nodded in agreement as the reached the entrance to the academic wing. Brittany paused slightly when Santana hesitated.

"Come on, maestro. Those equations aren't gonna solve themselves."

They headed into the throng and Brittany rested her hand on Santana's back lightly, testing the waters of what she was comfortable with. The young girl seemed a little relieved. Brittany wondered how she'd managed to navigate her classes on her own if she was always so nervous.

_Maybe she's used to being alone._

She set her jaw and held her head higher. Well, no more. Santana wasn't going to be alone for as long as Brittany was around.

Something brushing the hand that rested on Santana's back made her glance around. She smiled when she saw Santana's fingers clutch her wrist and tug it back to her side where she could link their fingers again.

Brittany's heart soared. Like around the world in eighty seconds soared. She leaned in closer to Santana, careful not to brush too closely and murmured, "This is so cool."

Santana sent her a grin and squeezed tighter.

Too soon, they reached Santana's class and Brittany gently disentangled their fingers. The pout she received as a result was dangerous – she almost had to step back to stop herself from leaning in to kiss it away.

"Would you like to have lunch with me, Santana?" she asked shyly.

Santana nodded furiously, a huge smile on her face.

"Great!" Brittany replied with an equally large smile. "Um, it's going to be a really nice day. How about we have lunch in the gardens?"

McKinley had a gorgeous garden with trees and benches and huge expanses of grass for students to relax on. Santana nodded again.

"Awesome. That's so awesome. Ok, have a good morning and I'll meet you on the grass. I'll wait by the doors."

She stepped back and indicated with her head for her to go inside. They remained staring at each other for a few seconds before Santana eventually turned into the classroom.

Brittany skipped to her own class. She didn't care how many people stared at her.

* * *

She doodled through American Lit, ever though _To Kill A Mockingbird_ was pretty interested. Brittany was a little disappointed that it didn't have anything to do with a bird. As soon as the short bell sounded, she jumped out of her seat, grabbed her notebook and bag and headed to her next class.

One class down, three to go until lunch. Until she saw Santana.

She grinned as she walked into her Physics class and sat down, focusing her attention back to the doodle she'd been busy with before.

"That wouldn't stand for one Santana Lopez, would it?" a quiet voice asked next to her.

Brittany glanced up and saw Quinn, looking sheepish and a little unsure. Only then did she realise that she and Quinn hadn't really spoken all week. Not since she'd hung up on her. Brittany's last sixteen hours or so were all that was engrained in her brain. Nothing really entered into the equation.

"It would," she replied, moving her bag so that Quinn could take her seat.

There was silence for a bit. It was uncomfortable, but more tense than anything. Brittany found herself wondering how Santana would have reacted in her position. She definitely wouldn't have flown off the handle like she did. Brittany sighed to herself and darkened the 'S' symbolising the first name of the girl she was in love with.

"I'm sorry for snapping," she said eventually. "You were just trying to be a good friend and I threw it in your face. I'm sorry."

She glanced at Quinn and saw her blink in surprise.

"What?" Brittany asked, her brow furrowing.

"Uh, nothing. I guess, um…I was actually planning on apologising to you for not supporting you like a good friend _should_."

Brittany shrugged. "We both fucked up a bit. I know I wig out when I get really stressed. And I have been. Really stressed," she added as a confirmation.

Quinn just nodded and nibbled on her bottom lip. Brittany grinned at the telltale sign.

"Spit it out, Q. I know you're just _dying_ to say something."

"Well…actually I have two things," her friend admitted, tucking a strand of pink hair behind her ear. She leaned in closer as the teacher walked in. "First, are you ready for today?"

Brittany nodded and smiled. "Yup. Been working my ass off."

"That's good. Is it ok if I'm…there? Later? At your-"

"I get it, Quinn. And yes, you can be there. Was that your second question?"

"Nope. Are you aware that you're drawing hearts around Santana and your initials?"

"Very aware," Brittany said simply.

"Oh."

The dancer smirked. She knew that Quinn was begging for her to voluntarily dish, but even Quinn knew that Santana was different. That she was special to Britt and not just some conquest or month-long fling.

"Britt, are you-"

"Morning, talented people. Books open to page thirty-nine, please?" the teacher called, cutting Quinn's question off.

A quick diagram analysis and pop quiz meant that Brittany never got to hear Quinn's question, although she about ninety percent sure what it was.

* * *

"Bailed on that quiz," Brittany grumbled.

"It was retardedly hard for a pop quiz. _And_ on a Friday. Mr. Collins is mean," Quinn agreed.

The two blondes headed towards History and Brittany's eyes scanned the crowded hallways for the off chance that she'd spot Santana. She doubted it, though. From what she remembered, Santana was due to head in the opposite direction to her.

"Hey, so what are your plans for the weekend?" Quinn asked.

Brittany shrugged, her eyes still on the countless heads for the dark hair that matched the dark eyes she could drown in. "Probably just chill. This week has been killer. I feel like winding down before beginning the madness again on Monday."

"Cool. Wanna have a movie night tonight? I'll bring the wine and you…"

Brittany tuned her best friend's voice out as she saw the hunched profile of her maestro as she weaved through the crowds on the opposite side of the hallway to where she was. She kept looking at Santana as they headed towards each other.

_No surprises, remember?_

Brittany couldn't stop the smile that crossed her face as Santana came into view fully.

_Come on, please look up._

They were almost opposite each other when Santana's head snapped up and her eyes flittered around quickly before meeting Brittany's. The resulting smile pretty much Brittany's day. The blonde held up four fingers and pushed her index and middle down, wiggling the last two with an accompanying wink. She wasn't sure why she knew that Santana would understand her, but the brunette's smile widened and she nodded subtly, slowly turning her body to continue her journey to her next class. Brittany spun around and walked backwards so that she could continue to watch her. As Santana stepped into her classroom, she looked back and sent a wink to her admirer.

Brittany stumbled.

Like full on stumbled.

She landed on her ass and winced. "Ow. Son of a bitch."

"Jesus, B! Are you ok?"

_No. The girl of my dreams just winked at me. I think I just died and went to heaven._

"Fine," she grumbled instead, pushing herself off the floor and dusting her tights.

"Do I even want to know what just happened?" Quinn teased, handing Brittany back her notebook that had fallen out of her bag when she'd tripped.

Yeah, tripped over her own feet. Because of a wink.

_Sexiest. Wink. Ever._

As much as Brittany would _love _to know what it felt like, she was almost scared of what kissing Santana might do to her. The hug, the hand holding and that wink had made her almost spontaneously combust.

"In answer to your question, Quinn, I am completely and hopelessly in love."

Her best friend's mouth dropped open at Brittany's cavalier confession.

"Holy crap! This must have been some week! What happened?"

They entered History and took their usual spots. Brittany hesitated, not sure if she wanted Quinn to know what had happened between her and Santana. It felt almost sacred, like their little secret and telling it to someone would destroy the magic. Brittany desperately wanted to keep the magic in case she woke up and it had all been a dream. If that was that case, she wanted to stay in her dream forever.

"Hello? Earth to Britt?"

"Hmmm?"

"You disappeared on me," Quinn said with a smirk. "Dare I even ask where you went?"

Brittany frowned. "It's not like that with her, Quinn."

"No, I know. You got this goofy smile on your face so I know you were thinking about her. I swear I didn't insinuate anything about sex."

"Good. Cos that won't be happening for a while."

"What?"

"What what?"

"No sex?"

"Nope."

"Why not?"

Brittany shrugged. "Just because. I'm not pushing her. Everything is at her pace. We're not even together, Quinn. We're not even close to together. We're just friends."

"But you're in love with her," Quinn pointed out.

"Yip."

"For someone who's slept with slightly less people than me, you've embraced this notion of being in love pretty quickly."

"Come on, Q. You know that she was on my mind from the first day I met her. I couldn't stop thinking about her, even though I didn't even know her."

"And you know her now?"

Brittany smiled. "Yeah, a little bit."

"Aw, my bestie's totally in love!" Quinn cooed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close.

"You're in love, Pierce?" Puck scoffed as he slumped into his chair in front of them. "Did pigs start flying too?"

"Fuck off, Puckerman," Quinn snapped. "Britt got her turn last week, but I'm not afraid to give you another humiliating smack down."

The reminder was enough to shut Puck up and he grumbled under his breath.

"We'll talk more at lunch, ok?" Quinn whispered.

Brittany bit her lip. "Actually…"

Quinn grinned and rolled her eyes. "Let me guess, you already have a lunch date."

"It's not a date," Brittany protested quietly, her cheeks turning red.

"Right. And I'm secretly in love with Squirrel Boy," Quinn retorted under her breath.

Brittany snorted in laughter.

"Seriously," Quinn continued, "in which reality is that considered hygienic and/or cool?"

* * *

Brittany stared at the clock.

_Seriously! Could seconds move any slower?_

She was just about ready to jump out of her chair the moment the bell sounded. She didn't have Quinn to keep her focused in her last academic class of the day, so her doodle had simply grown more intricate. She was actually quite proud of artistic quality of it. Of course, no one would _ever_ see it. Ever.

The bell rang and Brittany was out of the door before her French teacher could even bid them adieu. She raced towards the entrance to the gardens and skidded to a stop at the bench closest to the doors. Her foot tapped nervously as students filtered out. A few people waved at Brittany and she smiled back, her good mood fuelling any return greeting.

After five minutes, her good mood had dipped slightly. It was entirely possible that she'd just stayed in her last class a little late. She had no reason to worry.

After fifteen minutes, her bottom lip was bone dry with the nibbling and playing around she'd done with it. She checked her phone for the thirtieth time, but there wasn't anything.

_Should I send her a message?_

She decided not to. After all, they weren't together. Santana didn't owe her anything. Even if she did look just as excited about having lunch together both when she'd asked her and when they'd passed each other in the hallway between classes.

Twenty-five minutes.

At what point should she accept that she'd been stood up? Brittany hated the strong ache in her chest. It was like her heart was trying really hard to keep up the steady beating but she didn't really have the oomph to actually keep it going.

Thirty-five minutes.

Brittany blinked back her tears and stood up. Life was all about balance. She'd just been initiated in the bad part of being in love: the hurt.

* * *

She knew there wouldn't be anyone in the bathrooms in the academic wing during lunch. She kicked the door open hard, enjoying the satisfactory bang that it made against the wall.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," she muttered to herself. "Stupid, Pierce. Get your fucking hopes up for nothing. _Nothing_."

She was angry with herself, she was hurting really badly because Santana hadn't even texted her or anything. She was also mad at Santana. They'd made plans to meet during lunch and no student had no access to their phone for half an hour _during lunch_. A text would have sufficed.

Brittany stared at her reflection in the mirror. She hated that it was so easy to tell when she was either going to cry or had been crying. Her eyes immediately went red and puffy and her cheeks became flushed. Oh, and her eyes became ridiculously blue. She thought she looked retarded.

"You had to push, didn't you? Couldn't just leave things as they were, huh, Pierce? No, gotta make the most amazing girl in school feel smothered so that she-"

Her voice stopped immediately as she heard a movement behind one of the white doors.

"Is someone in here?" she snapped, whirling around. "I swear to God, if you don't fucking come out right now, I'm going to kick your ass to hell and back."

Nothing. Brittany knew she'd heard something. She started violently pushing the stall doors open until she reached the last one and smirked.

"Someone wants to get their ass whooped today," she muttered and pushed it.

Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. Within seconds she was on her knees in front of a weeping Santana who was crudely duct taped to the toilet so the she couldn't move her arms or legs.

"Jesus Christ, Santana. What happened? Who did this? I swear I'm going to fucking kill whoever did this."

She searched her favourite dark eyes, but they were filled with a fear similar to what she'd seen the previous night.

_Who would _do_ something like this? Especially to a girl who can't call out for help?_

That was probably why they did it. Brittany set her jaw, anger seething through every single fibre of her being. She didn't tolerate bullying of any kind, and she refused to let anyone bully the girl she was in love with.

_Not on my fucking watch._

Brittany tried catching Santana's gaze as she pulled at the duct tape away from her body, but the brunette was looking everywhere but at her. It made her even madder. Not only had someone or someone_s_ done this to the sweetest girl ever to walk the halls of McKinley, not only had they earned themselves crosshairs on heir backs, but any trust that Brittany had built within Santana was gone. Decimated. She could see it.

"Santana."

She got no acknowledgement.

"Santana," she said again, a little more firmly.

Nothing.

_Shit. This is really bad. Just keep talking to her._

"I'm going to help you, ok, Santana? I'm going to get you out of here and I'll take you someplace safe. I'll take you home if you want or anywhere else you want to go, ok? I'm just gonna grab my bag super quickly. There are some safety pins in there that I can use to cut through this tape and get you out of here as quickly as possible. I'll be right back, I promise."

Brittany tried unsuccessfully to make eye contact with Santana so she rolled back onto her feet and ran to get her bag. As she did, she saw Santana's bag lying behind the bathroom door, the contents on the floor, her phone among them.

_I'm so going to cut a bitch. This is not going to go unpunished._

Within five seconds, she was back, kneeling in front of Santana with her small container of safety pins. Her hands were shaking with a variety of emotions: unbridled rage, worry, fear for Santana, and nerves because she was hoping that she didn't make things worse for her maestro. She pulled a pin and started hacking very subtly at the tape around Santana's wrists. She soon had the left one free, but made sure to touch the tan skin she'd become so familiar with a few hours prior. Brittany made quick work of freeing Santana's other hand and set about tackling the tape around her feet.

Brittany was breathing pretty quickly by the time she was done and she knew it wasn't because of any exertion. She felt short of breath all of a sudden and light-headed.

_Crap, I can't have a panic attack now! I need to be strong for Santana._

She looked at the young girl, who was wringing her hands tightly. So tightly that her tan skin was being pulled white.

_Focus, Britt. Santana needs you. You told her you'd be there for her always. Now you need to deliver._

"Santana, I need to ask your permission to help you stand up," Brittany said in a quiet voice, but loud and firm enough for Santana to hear the sincerity in her voice.

But she just shook her head and pulled her newly freed legs up to her chest, burying her face behind her knees and rocking back and forth.

"Santana, please let me help you!" Brittany pleaded, wanting so badly to touch her but knowing that it would be the absolute worst thing for her to do. "You can trust me. I would never hurt you. I couldn't…I…"

She wanted to cry. She was frustrated that she couldn't be the one to help the young girl who was so, _so_ scared and fragile and felt as though she was alone. She was angry that Santana had been put in this position in the first place. She was scared that she wouldn't be able to help her. Not now and not ever.

_Think, dammit! Santana needs someone who…Holly!_

"Santana, I'm just going to get your phone, ok? I'll be right back, I promise."

Brittany ran to where Santana's bag laid strewn and grabbed the discarded phone. She checked that it was still working and sighed in relief when the screen lit up. She paused for a second and locked the main door so that Santana wouldn't be subjected to anybody's nosiness.

"Please don't have a security code," she muttered, sliding her finger on the screen. "Yes!" she cheered quietly, reaching the stall again.

Santana was in the same position and Brittany had to physically restrain herself from not wrapping her arms around her and keeping her safe from anything and anyone who wanted to hurt her.

"Santana, I really need you to look at me, please? I want to make sure that you're ok with what I'm about to do. Please." Santana didn't move. "Please. God, I don't know what to do, but I have to do something. Santana, please just look at me. You don't have to be scared of me." Her voice dropped to a whisper, "You never have to be scared of me. I could never hurt you."

Slowly, Santana lifted her head and her eyes were unsteady as they rested briefly on Brittany's.

_Progress. Ok, use it!_

"Santana, I know you don't want me to touch you and that's fine, but I want to help get you out of here. Now, I can carry you to my car and drive you wherever you want to go. That's option one." Brittany held up her index finger. "Option two is I call Holly right now and ask her to come and get you. I can make sure that you get out of here without people seeing you." She took a breath, ducking her head to try and catch Santana's eyes. "I need you to tell me which one you want, Santana. Option one or two?"

Brittany knew that she'd heard her and was weighing the possible pros and cons of each.

"I'll still call Holly and tell her what happened and if you want to go home, I'll ask her to meet you there? I mean, I don't know if she's at work or whatever. Um, or if you want me to take you to her, I'll do that. I just…I need you to tell me what _you_ want. I won't make you do anything you don't want to. If you want, we can sit in here for the rest of the day."

Brittany swallowed the rest of the word vomit that threatened to spill out of her mouth and held her breath as she watched Santana's hands for any sign of movement. She felt like they were still for minutes on end and it probably was that long. She waited, sometimes patiently, other moments very impatiently, but she kept it internal, afraid that anything would set Santana off. Set her off somewhere where Brittany wouldn't be able to reach her.

The slight twitch of Santana's left fingers caused Brittany's eyes to zero in on them. Eventually, an index finger was visible. Just an index finger. She double checked. She also breathed a sigh of relief. Despite everything, Santana still trusted Brittany enough to take care of her. It made the blonde feel such a rush of relief.

But now she needed a plan of action. It was still lunch for another five minutes and then everyone would head to their theory classes. That would be the perfect time to get Santana out of the school. The academic wing would be empty and it was actually the closest wing to the parking lot..

"Santana, I just want to make sure. You're ok with me getting you out of here, into my car and taking you wherever you want to go?"

A brief, barely noticeable nod.

"Ok," Brittany breathed, allowing a small smile to cross her face. "Santana, I think it would be best if we waited here until everyone's in their theory classes. We're close to the parking lot and because we got here early, we parked close to the front, remember?"

No response that time.

Brittany sat down on the floor, leaning against the wall and stretching her legs across the stall. They were cramping with all the squatting she'd been doing.

"I know that you probably don't want to hear this, but I'm just gonna say it this once and then you'll never hear me say it again," Brittany began in a slow and (she hoped) calm voice. "I know we hardly know each other, and I know that there are things about you and about your past that have affected who you are. I obviously don't know what those things are, but that's ok. Even if you never want to tell me, that's totally fine. I told you last night, Santana. I'm always going to be here for you, in whatever capacity you want me to be. If it takes me months or years, I want you to be able to trust me. Maybe one day you'll be able to trust me enough to open up to me about anything that might scare you." She swallowed, her eyes fixed on her hands that were resting in her lap. "I hate that someone did this to you. I hate that I didn't know. I hate that I couldn't protect you or stop it. I hate bullying, but I _never_ want anything to happen to you that might make you feel you uncomfortable or frightened in your surroundings. I want to be someone that you know you can rely on to save you-no, not save you. You're perfectly capable of taking care of yourself, I know that. Shit," she breathed, "I'm fucking this up. Santana, basically, the fact that you're letting me help you, that you're trusting me to take care of you, it means the world to me and I would love to be that person for you whenever you need me to be."

_Dumbass. Foot in mouth disease outbreak again._

"Santana, I'm sor-"

Brittany didn't get a chance to finish her apology because there was suddenly a small, fragile girl shaking in her arms, her face buried in her neck. Brittany immediately put her arms around her and held her snugly, not tightly. She didn't want Santana to feel smothered. In her haste, Santana had landed somewhat awkwardly on Brittany. The blonde shuffled away from the wall slightly and the extra room allowed Santana to wrap her own arms around Brittany's neck, which she had supposed the young girl wanted to do. Santana's forehead rested against her shoulder.

"Santana, I don't want your legs to cramp up," she whispered. "Can I help you get a little comfortable?"

She felt her nod.

"Ok, don't freak out when you feel my hands on your legs to help you sit across my lap, ok? You don't have to let go."

_Don't let go. Don't ever let go._

Santana was surprisingly easy to move. Besides the fact that she really was small, she weighed a lot less that she looked. Once she was sitting in Brittany's lap comfortably, the blonde tentatively started stroking her back. Who didn't like having their back stroked, right?

She found herself humming softly and it took her a full twenty seconds to realise that it was Santana's music; the piece she'd played on that very first day that they'd met. The brunette turned her head back towards the crook of Brittany's neck and simply rested there, her breathing becoming a little more even. It made the blonde exceptionally happy and grateful that she was able to calm Santana now, albeit a little bit.

The sudden ring made Santana jump violently, her head knocking Brittany's jaw quite hard.

_Ow._

"It's ok, Santana. That was just the bell. Lunch is over, so we're gonna wait here for about another ten minutes. Is that ok?"

Santana's breathing was quick and her arms tightened around Brittany's neck as her eyes flickered around the entire stall. Brittany continued her ministration on Santana's back, which seemed to help a little. Santana's jittery eye movement slowed down and finally rested on Brittany's. She couldn't help the sharp intake of breath. She felt like it had been so long since Santana had willingly looked her in the eye.

There was so much going on behind those dark orbs. There was still a great deal of fear and apprehension, but when Brittany smiled warmly, risking a tender finger grazing along Santana's jaw.

"I don't think I've called you beautiful today," she murmured. "In fact, I'm pretty sure it's impossible for there to be a moment in the day when you're not beautiful."

Santana didn't react at all, just held Brittany's gaze. Their eyes never wavered, except for the occasional blink. Brittany's finger also traced Santana's jaw line a few more times.

About ten minutes passed with the two girls just staring at each other and Brittany felt like she'd never had a more intimate moment in her life. It seemed that every time she was with Santana, she had a new favourite moment. Her finger was burning with intensity every time it met her smooth skin.

The best part was that she didn't feel an overwhelming urge to kiss Santana. Well, of course she wanted to, but first, that would be so super inappropriate with everything that had just happened. Second, this moment wasn't about physicality in any form.

Brittany hated to break it so she let Santana dictate what they did, when they did it. She was very aware of the younger girl's arms loosening around her neck and she tried not to show the disappointment at them having to move from their close position.

But Santana surprised her and only let her right hand fall from Brittany's neck, the other still keeping a firm grip. Her hand met the one with the trailing finger and Brittany smiled as Santana linked their fingers together. What she did next made the blonde's heart rate skyrocket. She pulled Brittany's hand to her chest and held it tightly against her heart, making sure that Brittany's skin was closest to her heartbeat.

She didn't know what to say or do so she didn't say or do anything except continue her staring contest.

And Brittany knew that this was the best part about being in love.

* * *

Brittany wanted to stay sitting on that floor forever. She would've too if she didn't feel her legs slowly going numb. If she had a hope to use them to carry Santana out, she kinda needed to use them.

Santana's heart rate had slowed down a bit and their fingers had started moving across the skin, similar to what they'd done that morning.

"Santana," she whispered. "I don't want to move, _really_ I don't, but my legs are going a little numb and I need them if I'm gonna drive you home."

The young girl looked a little sad and Brittany just squeezed her hand slightly. After a few more moments of getting lost in each other's eyes, Santana eventually shuffled forward, slipping off Brittany's lap and sitting on the floor next to each other.

"Is it weird that I wished we lived in our own bubble forever sometimes?" Brittany mused, looking from their still joined hands to Santana's eyes and back.

The Latina nodded, but there wasn't any smile. Brittany figured it was a little too optimistic to hope for that just yet. She'd work up to it. Slowly.

"Just wait here, ok? I'm gonna get our bags and stuff. I'll totally make a shit load of noise so you know I'm close by. Yeah?"

A reluctant nod was all that she got. Brittany slowly stood up, letting the blood rush through her muscles. She shook her body and once she felt back to normal, squatted next to Santana.

"Would it be presumptuous to try something again?" she asked quietly, inching her hand closer to Santana's.

The Latina raised her eyebrows and they held each other's gazes before a slow shake of her head prompted Brittany to take the hand closest to her and lift it. She kept her eyes on Santana as she brushed her lips over her four knuckles. Once again, the kisses were so light. Brittany put her hand back down and smiled gently.

"I love that I'll never get tired of doing that," she whispered before rising and walking out of the stall.

As promised, she made a loud show of gathering their bags. She slung them both over her shoulders and took her car keys out. She unlocked the door and headed back to the stall. Santana was still sitting on the floor and looked decidedly nervous. She was holding her hand, but her thumb was halting just before her knuckles. It made Brittany smile.

"You ready?" she asked.

Santana looked up at her and shook her head.

"Ok," Brittany replied, kneeling down. "We can stay here for as long as you want."

She shook her head again. It made the blonde frown in confusion. Santana just held out a hand. Brittany sucked in her lips and positioned herself properly before taking Santana's hand and guiding it around her neck. She slipped an arm under her knees and one on her lower back. She turned her head to Santana and realised how close they actually were.

She swallowed. "R-Ready?"

Santana's eyes were wide with surprise, but she nodded quickly. Brittany smiled quickly and gripped the girl tightly as she stood up. As predicted, it wasn't too difficult because Santana really was crazy light. Arms tightened around her neck as she got a good hold.

"You ok?" Brittany asked.

She nodded, cuddling close, hiding her face in Brittany's neck. The blonde didn't mind. She obviously wanted to and who was she to stop the girl from doing what she wanted? Brittany manoeuvred them out of the stall and stopped when she heard her keys jiggling from where they hung off her finger belonging to the hand bracing Santana's back.

"Hold up," she said quickly, turning towards the mirrors. "Santana, do you think you could reach those keys in my hand?"

She swivelled slightly and looked in the mirror to Brittany's hand behind her back. She quickly retrieved them and dropped them in her lap. Within two seconds, her arm was back around Brittany's neck and her face was hiding.

"Thanks," the blonde said with a smile, even though she knew the young girl couldn't see it.

They reached the door and Brittany used her now free fingers against Santana's back to pull it open.

"Hold tight, beautiful," she whispered, her lips very close to Santana's temple.

She responded and the breath of air from her mouth that hit Brittany's neck sent a shiver through her.

_Focus._

She started walked quickly, but not so fast that she was jostling Santana as she did. She kept her steady and comfortable, checking the empty hallways for any unwanted visitors.

"Almost there," she murmured as she headed through the (luckily) double door to the parking lot.

She made a beeline for her car, thankful for her parents' splurge on an SUV for her. It had space for Santana to lay down if she wanted to.

"Santana, could I ask you to just open the car for me, please? We're almost done, I promise."

She obliged, lifting her head briefly to unlock the car. Brittany managed to open the back door and guided Santana inside.

"There you go," she said softly. "You get comfortable, ok? Here's your bag. Maybe just type out where you want me to take you? It can be anywhere, ok? Wherever you want to go."

Santana shuffled back and nodded, pulling her phone out of the bag that Brittany handed her.

"I'm gonna close the door now. I'll be inside in a few seconds." She closed the door firmly, but not loudly and jogged around to the driver's side. She climbed in and turned the ignition on. "So, where am I taking you?"

Santana leaned forward and showed Brittany the text screen on her phone. Two words rendered her speechless, but she obediently reversed out of the parking space and headed towards her house, as per Santana's request.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you guys liked that one? The angst kinda came out of nowhere, but it does tie up to Santana's past – the way she reacted etc.**

**Any comments, questions, shout outs, whatevs, let me know! Also, news about my book and other original publications can be found on my Tumblr :)**

**I'm on Twitter and Tumblr under hlnwst.**

**Onward and up!**

**-H **


	6. Quality time

**A/N: Thanks so much for all your support guys!**

**It makes me really happy that you all seem to understand where I'm taking the relationship with Brittany and Santana. As for what happened to Santana; the bathroom incident will **_**most**_** definitely be dealt with. Brittany won't let that slide so easily. And no, it was not Quinn – she'd never do that to Britt.**

**Regarding Santana's past – this will also be dealt with at a later stage. I know exactly what happened to her (duh :p) so I hope that I'm able to portray the suspense effectively :)**

**Lastly, Santana's mutism: I won't tell you guys whether it's voluntary or not :) Sorry, but I won't budge on that :)**

**Special mention to glonner22 – your review made my day :) Not to take away from everyone else who took the time to send me comments – I do love responding to all of them :) Much love to all!**

**Onwards and up.**

**-H**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee :(**

* * *

**CHAPTER 6: Quality time**

Brittany pulled into her driveway and was relieved to see that it was empty – no one was home. Not only because her family would bombard her with questions and probably embarrass her, but also because she doubted that Santana wanted to be around anyone strange.

She couldn't help but smile at the thought that Santana trusted her enough to be around her after something so terrible. Enough to take care of her at a place that she had never been before. Because _Brittany_ was there. She kept the smile under control, though. Her primary concern was Santana and her well-being.

The Latina had been really quiet the whole ride. Brittany wasn't referring to that fact that she couldn't speak. Cos, _duh_. But Santana had withdrawn into herself and she barely moved in the back seat. Brittany sighed quietly, taking in Santana's face in her rear view mirror. She looked stressed, scared and uncertain.

_Not on my watch._

"Santana?" she said quietly. "We're at my house. Would you like me to carry you inside? I totally can. Really, I don't mind."

It didn't appear that Santana had heard her. Brittany figured as much. She was used to this response. For one second, she wished she could hear Santana's thoughts so that she could better help her. Better understand her.

For now, she'd do whatever she could to make Santana feel as safe as possible. She carefully opened her door and climbed out, keeping her keys in her hand. Her head was in turmoil. What did she do? Now that she'd gotten Santana away from the scene of the crime – a crime that still got her blood boiling – but now it was just the two of them.

_You got this, B. Just be yourself. She trusts you. Just keep asking her what she wants._

She nodded to herself and shut her door, pulling her bag over her shoulder. She walked around and smiled at Santana through the window. The young girl was completely lost in her head. However, Brittany wasn't so sure that it was the best place for her to be, all things considered.

"Santana?"

Nothing.

She sighed and pulled her mouth to one side. She didn't want to scare her by touching her unannounced.

"Santana?" she said, a little louder.

The young girl jumped a little and lifted her gaze to meet Brittany's.

"I'm really sorry for raising my voice, but you don't hear me if I say it normally," Brittany mumbled. She held out her hand. "Are you ok to walk or would you like me to carry you?"

Santana swallowed and looked at Brittany's hand, then met her eyes again. They stayed like that for a few moments before the brunette shuffled forward. Brittany pulled her hand back when she didn't take it, ignoring the pang in her chest.

_This is about making her feel comfortable. Not your pride._

Brittany nodded to her inner voice and stepped back to let Santana stand up. She immediately gripped Brittany's arm tightly, almost making sure that she'd stay close. The blonde smiled and wrapped her other arm around Santana's waist so that she supported the smaller girl. Santana immediately turned into her and Brittany breathed a sigh of relief. She shut the door, locked her car and the two girls slowly made their way from the driveway to the front door. Brittany unlocked the door and it swung back. She glanced down and bit a smile back at Santana's jaw-dropping reaction to the entry hall to her house.

Yup, an entry hall. Two stories high, huge chandelier, the whole shebang. Her mom was quite proud of it. She quickly entered the security code to prevent the alarm from going off.

"Santana? We can go straight up to my room if you'd like? Or I could give you the tour? Now or later, whichever you prefer."

Santana just held her tighter.

_Bedroom it is._

"Ok, we're going up the stairs. I'm warning you in advance, my parents were fitness freaks in a previous life or something because that's the only reasonable explanation for them choosing a house with a gazillion stairs." She chuckled lightly to herself.

Santana released her arm, but tangled their fingers together. Brittany gladly guided her up to the second floor. They walked along a short passage before hitting another set of stairs that would take them to Brittany's bedroom. They walked inside and Brittany suddenly panicked.

_Is my room tidy? Crap! I can't remember! Any clothes on the floor?_

"Um, yeah. So this is my room," Brittany said awkwardly, stepping inside. She dropped her bag next to her desk and turned to face Santana. The brunette was looking around with a blank expression.

"Um, feel free to look around," she offered, running her thumb along the back of Santana's hand. "I don't have anything to hide from you."

Santana met her eyes and Brittany saw that warm twinkle that she loved so much. It was faint, but it was there. And it made her very happy to see it. She smiled.

"May I take your bag, Miss Lopez?" she asked courteously.

She gave herself a standing ovation inside her head when she was rewarded with a small bashful smile. Santana handed her bag to her and Brittany placed it next to hers.

"Ok, so the afternoon is yours. What do you want to do? Movie? _Just Dance_? Sleep? Oh, you can totally shower if you want. And you can totally borrow some of my clothes."

Santana nodded gratefully. Brittany smiled warmly. She pulled her gently by the hand into her bathroom. She showed her where the towels were and told her to wait five seconds while she got her some clothes to change into. The last thing she wanted was for Santana to have to come out in a towel or for Brittany to go into the bathroom when the brunette was in various forms of undress.

She was pretty sure she'd have a heart attack.

"Here you go, beautiful," she said softly, handing Santana a pair of sweatpants, tank top and hoodie.

Santana took the clothes and put them on the closed lid of the toilet. Brittany was about to take a step back but she caught her hand and hesitantly pulled her closer. Brittany swallowed as her heart rate increased. Their bodies were almost touching and the blonde felt like she was about to burst if Santana didn't do _something._

And then she did.

Santana dropped Brittany's hand and slowly ran her hands up Brittany's arms, leaving goosebumps in her wake and causing Brittany to shiver involuntarily. Her arms continued and locked around the taller girl's neck. They were really close, staring into each other's eyes. Brittany would never make the first move, as much as it was draining her restraint. She wouldn't do that to Santana.

After what seemed like hours, Santana stepped forward, bringing their bodies flush against each other. Brittany took a sharp breath in and rested her hands on Santana's hips, not entirely sure what she was supposed to do. She knew what she _wanted_ to do…

Santana moved closer, rising onto her toes and Brittany swallowed, trying to relieve her suddenly dry throat. She almost breathed a sigh of relief when Santana nestled her head against her neck. She moved her hands from the Latina's small waist to her back and pulled her a little closer.

_I could picture us falling asleep like this._

Brittany allowed the rogue thought to run through her mind. It would be amazing, no doubt. As head over heels in love with Santana as she was and as much as she wanted to do the old fashioned dip and kiss thing from old movies, she wouldn't. Sometimes, like at that moment, it was a little harder to resist the desire to do just that, but Brittany fought it. She would always fight it if it meant that Santana kept on trusting her.

She felt Santana's grip loosen slightly, so she did the same and stepped back. As she did, she felt the brush of Santana's lips against the side of her throat and it made her breath hitch. She was pretty sure that it wasn't an accident, so she tried to stop her face from turning beet red and her thumping heart from beating right out of her chest.

Santana obviously felt it, though. Once they were looking at each other again, she dropped one hand and placed it over Brittany's heart, just feeling the rapid beating against her palm. And it wasn't about to slow down because Santana was touching her. Voluntarily touching her chest. Where there was naked skin. Her fingertips were grazing against the heating skin underneath her collar bone.

"Santana, I'm afraid that if you continue to touch me, I may have a heart attack because I can't seem to control my heartbeat," Brittany confessed in a whisper that, to her embarrassment, came out a little strangled.

The brunette looked up in surprise and smiled guiltily, dropping her hand away. She glanced down but Brittany tipped her chin back up.

"Trust me when I say that no one has ever made me feel like that just by touching me. In fact, no one has ever made me feel like that ever. It's a good thing, ok? I'm still working on the control so forgive me if I…overstep sometimes."

Santana frowned in confusion.

Brittany blushed and bit her lip. "Well, since I'm being honest with you…um, it's really hard for me to not kiss you. It actually has been a pretty intense battle with my will power since this morning. But, you're so important to me, Santana, so I won't ever do anything without your consent or that makes you uncomfortable."

Santana looked shocked, but not in a bad way. Her mouth had fallen open a little and she was just staring up at Brittany in disbelief.

"Hmmm, I love that little furrow of your brow," she murmured, looking at it. "It's so cute." She dropped her hands from Santana's waist and took a step back. "I'll let you shower. Just let me know if you need anything, ok?"

She just nodded a few times in reply and Brittany smiled at her lovingly. She really did look so adorable when she was flustered and a little confused.

"See you in a bit, beautiful," she called, shutting the bathroom door.

Spinning around, she quickly set about making her room presentable. Luckily, she wasn't messy. The maid that came to clean the house was forbidden to enter Brittany's room by her parents – she was responsible for the state of her bedroom. She actually preferred that. Other than family, only Quinn and Sugar, at one point, had been inside her room. She'd never had her one-night-stands in her bed. It was her sanctuary, her escape from the world. And yeah, sex was an escape for her (well, it used to be), but she just didn't want to do it in her own room. Quinn thought her logic was retarded. Brittany disagreed – her rule hadn't affected the amount of times she'd been laid.

Wait, why the hell was she thinking about how many times she'd been laid when the most perfect girl in the world – the girl that she was in _love_ with – was in the very next room, taking a shower…

_Oh, shit. That wasn't a good idea._

Now all she was doing was picturing Santana naked, with water running down her caramel skin.

"Holy Jesus, stop!" Brittany said aloud, trying to regulate her breathing. "Snap out of it, Pierce. This is the girl you love. She's everything. Which means no thinking of sweet lady kisses until she's ready."

She nodded in affirmation of her statement and grabbed a few clothes that were strewn on the floor. She straightened her bed out and fluffed the pillows. She lowered the TV from the ceiling – yes, her TV came out of the ceiling – and she opened up the cupboard that housed her DVD collection. She loved movies and had a pretty extensive collection built up. There wasn't a genre that she didn't enjoy. But she figured that horror would be off the table when Santana was around. And maybe suspense thrillers.

She was so busy crouched, looking through her collection that she didn't hear the bathroom door open. She felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped slightly, losing her balance and falling onto her side. She groaned as she jarred her elbow and looked up to see Santana giggling.

"Yeah, very funny," she grumbled. "Ugh. Well, since you're here, take your pick." She gestured to her collection and smiled at the way Santana's eyes went wide. She rolled onto her feet and stood up so the she was next to Santana. "Do you want some food? Seeing as how, you know, we didn't, um, get to have lunch?" Brittany faded away towards the end, realising that she was an idiot for bringing it up.

But Santana just gave her a warm smile and nodded. Brittany returned it in relief.

"Ok, are you allergic to anything? Just so that I know?"

Santana nodded and pulled out a necklace, showing it to Brittany. She took it carefully. It was one of those allergy necklaces that listed what the wearer was allergic to. Pretty clever, especially for someone who's mute.

"Ok, sesame seeds and insulin. Ah, that sucks. Just as well you're not diabetic, huh?"

Santana wiggled her eyebrows with a small smile. Brittany chuckled. "Ok, beautiful. I'll be right back. The remotes are there next to my bed. Choose whatever you wanna watch and make yourself comfortable. I'm gonna be super quick."

Santana just nodded and Brittany spun on her heel, skipping out of the room. As soon as she on the second floor she let out a huge breath.

"Holy crap!" she whispered. "Ugh, this is gonna be _really_ difficult."

She hadn't expected Santana to look so completely gorgeous in her sweats, freshly showered with her hair piled on top of her head. She looked so beautiful in the most casual clothes. In _Brittany's_ clothes. She moaned to herself as she headed down the stairs and took a right off the entry hall into the kitchen.

Within five minutes, she'd made two sandwiches with white bread with the works, grabbed two cans of soda – she had water in her room, plus snacks – and headed back up, balancing the two plates easily. She smiled when she saw Santana sitting cross-legged against her pillows, looking at several movies laid out in front of her.

"Do we have a winner?" she queried.

Santana smiled and held up _The Prestige_.

"Wow. Haven't seen that one in a while, but excellent choice." She sat down on the huge bed about an arm's length away from Santana. Beds were very different territory and Brittany wasn't about to be presumptuous and assume that they would continue their closeness just because they were on a bed. "I have BLT or peanut butter and jelly. If you'd prefer something else, I'll run down and make you something…"

Santana took the peanut butter and jelly sandwich and touched her left to her mouth.

Brittany smiled. "You are most welcome, Santana. Oh, I also got you a soda. Hope cherry flavour's ok? I've got water in my fridge over there as well as…" she bent over the bed and opened the cabinet built into the bottom base, "snacks!" she proclaimed, holding up a few packets of chips and candy.

Santana grinned widely and took a bite of her sandwich, closing her eyes in appreciation.

"Good then?" Brittany asked with a smile.

She got a furious nod in return.

"Awesome." She stood up and went to put the DVD in the player attached to the TV. Once back on the bed, she started the movie and the two girls were intrigued from the opening scene, happily munching on their lunch and snacks.

About halfway through the movie, Brittany leaned over to grab the plate in front of Santana's crossed legs so that she could stretch out of she wanted to. She stood up and put the dirty plates on her desk, grabbing both their phones at the same time. She paused at her fridge and pulled out two bottles of water. Santana smiled at her gratefully as she handed her phone and a bottle of water to her. Brittany just winked and settled back against her comfy pillows to watch the rest of the movie. Just over an hour later, the end credits rolled up and Brittany stood up, stretching languidly. She looked over at Santana, whose eyes were following her body up and down as she stretched. She felt her heart rate increase. Having Santana's eyes on her like that was riveting. It made her feel almost naked. She smirked.

"Like what you see, Lopez?" she teased.

Santana immediately flushed and looked down.

"Don't be shy. You know I was teasing. What's next?"

The young girl kept her head down, but handed over the next DVD from the little pile she'd created on the nightstand next to her. Brittany arched an eyebrow and chuckled. "Never pegged you for a _Twilight_ girl."

Santana shrugged and Brittany suddenly felt horrible. She'd made her feel uncomfortable.

_Not to self. Don't tease!_

It was probably really difficult for her to express any kind of emotion, and even though Brittany understood her pretty well already, she knew that Santana was shy.

_Idiot._

She quickly loaded the DVD and put _The Prestige_ back in its case and climbed onto her bed, making sure that she sat a little closer to Santana this time. She glanced over as the opening credits rolled. Santana looked nervous and her body was stiff.

"Hey," she whispered.

Santana's eyes darted to her nervously.

"I didn't mean anything by that comment. It was wrong of me to tease you. Hell, if you knew how many times I checked you out, I'd be super…oh, crap. You weren't supposed to know that." Brittany went red and looked down.

She heard her phone vibrate next to her and smiled at the message.

_So how about we call it even then?_

"Deal," she said, looking back at Santana. They shared a smile and Brittany settled back into her pillows again, making sure that she was leaning closer to Santana. If she was aware of Brittany's super stealth moves, she ignored them and got comfortable a few centimetres away from her.

It made Brittany smile. They watched the movie unfold and she turned her attention to Santana when _Bella's Lullaby_ came on. The brunette had a contented smile playing on her face and her eyes had fluttered closed, her head moving in time to the music.

_So beautiful._

Santana's eyes flew open and she looked over at Brittany. Her smile had turned shy.

"Ooooh. Shit, did I say that out loud?" Brittany asked, pulling a face.

She nodded.

"Sorry," she muttered.

As an answer, Santana bridged the space between them and took hold of Brittany's hand, slowly entwining their fingers. Any embarrassment flew out of the blonde's mind as she shuffled a little closer so that their joined hands were resting in the small gap between them.

"I like this," Brittany whispered, leaning her head a little closer. "I really like spending time with you like this."

Santana met her eyes and they said everything that her mouth couldn't. Brittany dropped her gaze with a smile and turned her attention back to the screen. When it came to the ballet studio scene, she felt Santana's grip on her hand tighten and tremble slightly. She immediately turned her attention to the young girl next to her.

"Want me to change it?" she asked. "You don't have to say why. Just yes or no."

After a noticeable pause, she got a few quick nods.

"Ok. I think we need to watch something silly. How about _Bridesmaids_?"

Santana smiled that grateful smile that Brittany loved so much. She quickly stopped _Twilight_ and ejected the disc, switching it out for the comedy.

"While I'm up, are you still hungry? Want another sandwich? Or I could see if we've got some leftover lasagne? My mom makes a mean lasagne."

She got a reluctant nod.

"Hey." Brittany waited until Santana lifted her head and their eyes met. "When you're here, whether it's with me or not, you are entitled to anything you want. My house is completely open to you. And you don't have to say thank you for everything because I _want_ you to enjoy yourself here. Just like I _want_ you to have some lasagne with me so that I don't look like a total pig when I devour the plate in like three seconds."

_Bingo_. She got a smile.

"I'll be right back. Don't start without me, ok?"

Brittany hummed as she warmed the leftover up in the microwave. She frowned when she heard someone coming down the stairs in a hurry.

"Santana?" she called, stepping into the long passage.

The brunette ran to her and shoved her phone into her hand frantically. Her hands were moving around sporadically so Brittany glanced down and her eyes widened. It was a quarter to five. She had several missed calls from Quinn and Mike, but she hadn't heard them because her tones were still on silent from school. Only messages came through on vibrate and she must not have heard them because of the volume of the TV.

She'd missed her re-eval.

Brittany nibbled on her bottom lip and slipped her phone into her pants pocket with a smile. "Don't worry about it."

Santana frowned and shook her head, immediately typing on her phone. She showed it to Brittany when she was done.

_No, we should go to school now and see if they'll still see you or something. I'm so sorry, Brittany. I never meant to make you miss your re-evaluation. Especially after you worked so hard on it._

"Santana, seriously, don't worry about it."

She typed out another message.

_Are you going to get another date for re-evaluation?_

"Nah. I'll stick with the grade I got."

Santana looked completely confused. Brittany opened the microwave and let the lasagne cool a bit. She walked up to the brunette and looked at her with a warm smile.

"My re-evaluation doesn't even compare to making sure that you're ok. If I could do it over again, I'd do the same thing." She cocked her head in thought. "Well, actually, I would wait outside your last class and make sure that whoever thought that they could pull that stunt never even got close to you." She clenched her jaw at the memory of seeing Santana taped to that toilet for the first time. Nothing would ever erase that form her mind and she was going to make the people responsible very, _very_ sorry that they'd messed with Santana.

She felt two hands on her cheeks and Santana tugged her face down so that her eyes finally met earnest dark ones. She just shook her head slowly. Brittany frowned and pulled out of her grasp.

"No, I'm sorry, Santana, but I'm not letting this go. No fucking way. I would honestly do anything for you, but please don't ask me to forget about this. Because I refuse to do that. I will not stand by and let ignorant people bully the girl I l-" She stopped herself before her mouth ran away with her and took a deep breath. "I know that I can't change what happened, Santana. But that doesn't mean that I'm not going to ensure that there are consequences. Bullying is not excusable. And I know you can take care of yourself, but somebody…they tied you…and…" She started breathing quickly. "What if I hadn't found you, huh?" Her voice caught and she furiously blinked back tears. "It's…No, I'm glad that I was the one to find you because I _won't_ let this go. I won't." She stared at Santana, holding her gaze as tears blurred her own. "Please don't ask me to."

Santana looked completely torn and Brittany hated that it was because of her. But a greater part of her, the part that would do absolutely anything to ensure that Santana was safe, overruled that compassion. The culprits would be severely dealt with.

She felt two arms encircle her waist and Santana rested her head against Brittany's shoulder. The blonde sighed and wrapped her arms around Santana as well, holding her tightly.

"I hate that I wasn't there, and this isn't some kind of guilt trip, ok? It's not like that. I…It kills me that you went through that. And I will make the people who did it to you pay dearly." She pulled away slightly so that Santana looked up at her. She was surprised to see dark orbs glistening with the beginnings of tears. She lifted her hands brushed her thumbs lightly under Santana's eyes to catch the tears as they fell. "Don't cry, ok? They're not worth it. And I will make sure that nothing like that ever happens to you again. Ever." She took a breath. "Santana, I know we haven't known each other for very long, but I want to tell you that I…I would do anything for you. What I want doesn't even matter to me anymore. It's…everything that I do is for you or about you. And before you say anything, it's because I want it that way. I like it that way. I've never felt anything like this for anyone else before. And I kinda think that it was meant to be that way. I was waiting for you."

Brittany cradled Santana's face in her hands and smiled. "You are so incredibly beautiful, Santana. You are the most talented and selfless person I know. You make me laugh like no one else. You make me think outside of the box. You make the butterflies in my stomach go crazy. You make me crazy. But in the good way," she added quickly. "I don't want to feel like this with anybody else. Only you."

Brittany leaned down and brushed her lips lightly against Santana's cheek. She pulled back and saw Santana's eyes fluttering open. They looked at each other for a while longer before Brittany dropped her hands again and pulled Santana close to her for a hug. The tan arms around her waist held her tight. Brittany was adamant that she wouldn't let her go of that's what Santana wanted.

* * *

Santana wiggled her eyebrows in approval as she took another bite of lasagne. Brittany grinned and scooped a huge piece into her mouth. It puffed her cheeks out and made Santana giggle.

They finished their late lunch snack in comfortable silence, their gazes never wandering far from each other. Brittany felt wonderfully calm. She didn't even care that she'd missed her evaluation. Her number one priority from now on would always be Santana.

"Ok, I just have to say something right now," Brittany blurted as she deposited their empty plates into the sink.

Santana looked at her expectantly.

"You look so incredibly sexy in my clothes," Brittany said with a grin. "I'm not teasing you or anything, I promise. I just…I had to tell you."

Santana blushed and looked down at her feet.

"And another thing," Brittany said in a softer tone, walking up to the brunette and tipping her chin once more. "I don't say those things to you just because. I say them because that's what I truly believe. It's how I see you." She tucked an errant strand of dark hair behind Santana's ear. "And since I'm just absolutely the most amazing person on the planet, I have to be telling the truth. Which means you have to believe it." She winked, bopped Santana on the nose and giggled when she scrunched it up. The happy smile on the young girl's face was enough to send Brittany soaring into the sky. Nothing could go wrong as long as she kept that smile on her face.

They walked hand-in-hand back up to Brittany's room.

"I'm gonna grab a quick shower, ok? I won't be long," Brittany said. "Maybe you should text Holly and let her know where you are? If you want me to take you home, just let me know."

Santana nodded, but Brittany knew it wasn't for the last question. She closed the bathroom door and smiled at how she just innately _knew_ what Santana meant now. It kinda felt like they were meant to have met.

As the hot water ran down her body, she thought about how close she'd come to telling Santana about her true feelings. They way that those gorgeous dark eyes had looked back at her…she was almost sure that if she had said it, Santana wouldn't have run away. There had been more than one occasion where she'd felt like they were going to kiss, but she'd held back, wanting to make sure that Santana truly wanted to kiss her. Because Brittany was pretty sure that if she kissed Santana, she wouldn't be able to just be her friend anymore. Even as things stood now, they were teetering on that line between friendship and something more.

Something more…

Brittany would love something more.

She rinsed her hair and turned the water off, quickly drying herself. She turned to her clothes lying in a heap on the floor.

"Oh."

_Crap._

She wrapped her towel tightly around her and bit her lip as she approached the door. She opened it a margin.

"Um, Santana? You there?"

She waited a few moments before a beautiful face appeared at the door. Her eyes went wide when she took in what Brittany was wearing. They immediately darted elsewhere.

Brittany wanted to tell Santana that she was welcome to look as much as she wanted, but after what had happened earlier, she didn't want to risk this perfect little bubble that they were in.

"Sorry. I, uh, forget to take some clothes in. I'm just gonna run out and grab some. But I didn't wanna, um, scare you or anything."

Santana flushed and shook her head. Brittany glimpsed a shy smile.

"You're cute," she whispered. "I'll be quick."

She pushed the door open all the way and walked quickly to her chest of drawers, opening the third drawer and grabbing a pair of sweat pants and a tank top. From her top drawer, she grabbed some underwear and winked at Santana as she headed back into the bathroom.

Within five minutes, she was back out, feeling refreshed and relaxed. Santana was stretched out on the bed, playing on her phone.

"Hey, you. Did you text Holly?"

She nodded.

"Cool." Brittany didn't press the matter. Santana would tell her what she wanted. "_Bridesmaids_?"

Santana grinned and wiggled down to get comfortable. Brittany sat right next to her this time, not bothering with the pretence that neither of them wanted the closeness. She started the movie and put her hand over Santana's. The younger girl, turned her hand and their fingers laced together. They both looked at each other and smiled.

About twenty minutes into the movie, Santana surprised Brittany by resting her head on her shoulder. The blonde knew that her shoulder was pretty bony.

"Try this," she whispered, gently disentangling their fingers and putting that arm around Santana instead.

The brunette didn't waste any time and cuddled close, resting her head on Brittany's collar bone. Her right hand reached out and grabbed Brittany's right. She spent the rest of the movie just playing with the blonde's fingers.

Brittany's face was permanently etched into a smile and it had little to do with the comedy on the TV in front of them.

* * *

Brittany jerked awake. When had she fallen asleep? She looked down and couldn't stop the smile creeping onto her face. Santana was curled into her, her arm around Brittany's waist and her head resting comfortably in the crook of her neck.

_Just like I wished._

The TV was playing the menu for _Bridesmaids_.

_We must have fallen asleep just before the movie ended._

Brittany yawned and used the arm that was around Santana to pull her closer. She closed her eyes and proceeded to head back into lala land. That was until she heard hushed voices coming up the stairs to her room. She knew it wasn't Quinn because she'd texted both her and Mike earlier, apologising about the re-eval but that something unavoidable had come up (she'd told Quinn that it had to do with Santana) and that she'd take the initial grade. Quinn had replied immediately, saying that if she needed anything that she shouldn't hesitate to ask. She didn't even know if Mike had replied.

The voices came closer and Brittany opened her eyes, craning her neck up as far as she could without waking Santana. The brunette tightened her grip on Brittany as she slept and burrowed deeper into her neck. A deep sigh set her skin on fire.

_God, I am so in love with this girl._

"How long have they been here?" an unfamiliar voice asked in a low voice.

"I don't know. I can check when the alarm was deactivated. Do you know when they left school?" That was her mom. Who was she talking to?

"By the time Santana texted me, Mr. Schuester had already left school." Oh, it was Holly. But if Santana had texted her, then what was she doing there? And, more importantly, how had she found out where she lived?

"Should we wake them?" Victoria whispered.

_Ugh. I don't want them to wake her up. She's been so happy with me. Don't take her away._

She realised how ridiculous she sounded, but she wanted Santana around all the time. She couldn't get enough of her.

Brittany groaned inwardly. She wanted to get up and talk to Holly and find out why they were there. Unless Santana had perhaps asked them to pick her up at a certain time and had fallen asleep? She stroked Santana's arm that was resting across her stomach and smiled. She wouldn't be anywhere else at that moment if she could help it. But she wanted Santana to continue sleeping peacefully. She doubted that would happen if the chatter continued outside her bedroom door. She carefully wiggled her arm out, thankfully not waking her sleeping partner. She rested Santana's head on her pillow and grabbed another one her to hold, which she latched onto and snuggled against.

_That should be me right now, dammit_, Brittany pouted.

Running a hand through her hair, she headed for her door.

"Britt!" Victoria said in surprise. "I didn't realise you were awake."

"I wasn't," Brittany mumbled, glancing back into her room to check that Santana was ok. "I heard you guys. What's going on?"

"Brittany, we haven't met yet. I'm Shelby, Santana's aunt."

The blonde was suddenly wide awake. She held out her hand to a brunette that looked like she could be related to Santana and smiled. "Pleasure to finally meet you, Shelby."

"And you. I've heard so much about you from both Santana and Holly. You seem to really have charmed them."

Brittany's smile faltered a little at the distrust she could hear in Shelby's voice.

"Um, well, I don't know about charmed, but Santana does mean a great deal to me. I just want to make sure she's safe."

"So what happened today, then?"

_Wow. So this is what the overprotective parent thing is like._

"Um, we were supposed to have lunch together, but Santana didn't show. I happened to go into one of the bathrooms and I found her there taped to a toilet."

Three pairs of eyes went wide.

"Oh, no, no, no," Shelby whispered in horror. "Is she…did she…?"

"She's fine now. It wasn't easy, but I talked her into letting me get her out of there. I cut the tape off and she let me hold her for a bit, which I think helped. When I asked where she wanted to go, she said here."

"Why?" Shelby asked.

"Because she trusts Brittany, babe. I told you that," Holly stated. She sounded a little exhausted.

"I'm really sorry that we didn't let you know. I just wanted to try and make this day a little better for her. I saw how scared she was. I understand that this was a really bad experience for her. And she's also aware that I am going to kick the ass of whoever did this to kingdom come," Brittany said, her voice ending off in a menacing whisper. "I don't stand for bullying, but I especially won't stand for it when Santana's involved."

Victoria smiled proudly and Brittany caught her eye, returning it.

"I think that maybe we should take her home," Shelby insisted in a quiet tone. "Brittany, I'm eternally grateful for what you did for my niece, but…this probably has a lasting effect that you don't realise."

"Shelby," Holly warned.

"Holly, she doesn't know. And I think Santana would like to keep it that way," Shelby said firmly.

Brittany frowned. "Um, with all due respect, Shelby, I only met you two minutes ago. You don't know me. And you don't know how Santana and I are together. She trusts me. And I am not going to let that go easily. I l-"

She felt two arms go around her waist and she immediately swivelled to see a sleepy looking Santana resting against her chest.

"Hey, beautiful," she said quietly. "I'm sorry we woke you. Your aunts are here."

Santana looked up in surprise and smiled when she saw Shelby. She quickly walked over to her and threw her arms around her neck.

"Oh, baby girl. I'm so sorry about what happened," Shelby cooed, stroking her hair. She pulled back and looked into her eyes. "You ok?"

Santana nodded and it made Brittany smile. Shelby started signing and the dancer could only watch in amazement at the flurry of hands as they spoke. It seemed like Santana was frustrated, though. Holly kept glancing back to her and it made Brittany frown. She went to stand next to her.

"Shelby wants her to come home with us, but she wants to stay," Holly whispered in her ear.

Brittany nodded in understanding and smiled. She could protect Santana. She would. For as long as she lived.

"Oh," Holly breathed.

"What?' Brittany whispered.

"Santana just said that you're good for her and that she feels safe around you."

"Oh," was all she could say in reply. What did you even say to that? It was possibly the biggest compliment that Santana could ever pay her.

"Now Shelby's arguing that you weren't there today."

Brittany furrowed her brows in frustration. She may not have been there when it happened, but she _did_ get there. She did save her. It was fate that she found Santana. Someone else could have found her, but _she_ did. That should count for something. She'd taken care of her, right?

"Whose clothes are those?" Holly asked.

"Mine," Brittany replied shortly.

The older blonde gave her a look and Brittany quickly shook her head. "No, no, no, no. Nothing happened. She wanted to take a shower and I gave her some clean clothes to wear. Honest." She held up her hands. "I told you this morning that I'm not pressuring her. She's setting the pace. Whatever she wants is fine with me."

"And what if she doesn't want anything more than friendship?" Holly asked.

Brittany swallowed. "Then I'll be the best friend she's ever had." _But dear God, please don't torture me like that._

Holly nodded and glanced back to the two brunettes as they were still signing away madly. Brittany blinked, her eyes getting sore from trying to catch every movement. Holy crap, she had a long way to go to understand sign language.

"I really need to learn faster," she muttered.

Holly chuckled quietly. "It takes a while. But once you get the hang of it, signs aren't that difficult to interpret. And Santana's really good at adapting her signing to the person she's talking to. I can read what they're saying, but even I miss out on a few things. She speaks differently with me."

Brittany nodded. "What are they saying now?"

Holly's eyes flickered over their hands. "They're still arguing about whether Santana stays here or not."

"Why won't Shelby let her?"

"Because Santana isn't a very…sociable person normally. She's never spent a night away from home."

"Well, I can take her home later if that's the case."

"Oh, no, you misunderstood me," Holly chuckled. "Santana wants to stay with you. For the weekend. She doesn't want to come home."

"Oh, ok." Brittany looked at her mom, who was taking in the scene with fascination. She inclined her head once their eyes met. They spoke in hushed tones at Brittany's bedroom door.

"Um, Shelby, I don't mean to interrupt," Brittany said, catching the older brunette's eye. Santana turned around and smiled at her. Brittany sent her a wink. "It's not a problem for Santana to stay here for the weekend. I already told her that I would accommodate whatever she needs. And if this is what she needs, then I'm happy to comply. I've spoken to my mom and she's happy for your niece to stay here as well. We have a state-of-the-art security system and because my room is on the third floor, there's a steel gate that seals the stairwell up here if need be. She'll be safe here."

Santana moved next to Brittany and took her hand. The blonde smiled warmly down at her. Shelby glanced down at their hands and sighed, finally realising Santana's reluctance to leave.

"I don't expect anything to go wrong. We'll probably hang out here the whole time unless Santana wants to go somewhere. If we do go anywhere, I'll be happy to let you know. Holly already has my number."

Shelby arched a brow. Holly slid next to her.

"Trust San on this one, boo. You know she wouldn't do this if she didn't feel comfortable."

"Fine," Shelby said eventually. "This is your trial run, Brittany. The fact that Santana trusts you means a lot and that's the only reason you're even_ getting_ a trial run."

_A trial run? What, am I renting Santana for the weekend or something? _She frowned.

"Once again, Shelby, with all due respect, Santana is quite capable of making her own choices. She does that with us all the time. She trusts me because I trust her. I know she won't do anything if she's not one hundred percent ok with it. I think you're selling your niece a little short here. Give her the benefit of the doubt. I've only known her a short while, but I know she doesn't decide anything on a whim. If she wants to be here then it's for a very good reason."

Holly hummed something that sounded like _bow-chica-bow-wow_ and Brittany couldn't hide the bashful grin. Shelby elbowed her partner and Holly feigned instant pain.

"Come on, babe. Let the lovebirds have their weekend together. Besides, Victoria here seems like one stand up gal. I really don't think we have anything to worry about."

Brittany held Shelby's gaze until it flickered to her niece and she felt Santana's hand squeeze hers tighter.

"Call me if you need anything, ok?" Shelby said firmly.

Santana nodded and stepped forward to give her aunt a hug goodbye. She gave Holly one too and the older blonde winked at Brittany as they descended the stairs.

"Don't worry, sweetie. I'll walk them out," Victoria said with a dismissive wave. "It's almost seven. Are you guys hungry?"

Brittany looked down at Santana who shook her head.

"Nah, we're good, Mom. We had some lasagne two hours ago. If we do, I'll whip up something."

"Ok, have fun, girls."

Victoria trotted after the other two women and struck up a conversation immediately.

Santana turned back into the bedroom, tugging Brittany behind her. The blonde giggled and watched as Santana pulled the hoodie off, tossing it to one side and climbing on the bed, this time under the covers. She had to swallow at seeing Santana in a tank top.

_Holy shitballs. Sexy is an understatement._

Santana got comfortable and looked expectantly at Brittany, who catapulted into action. She grabbed the remote from the nightstand and turned the TV off. Santana grinned as the TV returned to its hidey-hole in the ceiling.

Brittany grabbed her phone and sat on the bed. "Just need to text Quinn and cancel brunch tomorrow," she told Santana.

Santana placed a hand on her arm to stop her and shook her head. Brittany frowned. "You can come with us if you'd like?"

She looked shy and it was fast becoming one of Brittany's favourite looks on her.

"Ok, then I'll just text Quinn and let her know it'll be the three of us. Is ten ok?"

Santana nodded. Brittany fired off the text and set an alarm for nine. She did enjoy her sleep and her alarm was a godsend. She'd be perpetually late otherwise.

They both snuggled down and lay on their backs next to each other.

"I think it's awesome that your aunts love you so much," Brittany murmured, turning her head so she was looking at Santana. "You're lucky."

When Santana turned her head and met her eyes, even in the darkened room, she could see masses of pain. She frowned, turned onto her side and shuffled closer, finding Santana's hand beneath the sheets.

"Did I say something wrong? I didn't mean to."

She shook her head slightly and bit her bottom lip. They lay in the semi-darkness like that for a while, not saying anything and letting the silence float around them. It wasn't a suffocating silence, but there was something there. Santana eventually pulled up her free hand and signed for a phone. Brittany turned and grabbed her phone from where she'd just placed it on the nightstand. She unlocked it and handed it to the Latina.

Hating that she had to let go of Santana's hand for her to use the phone, she just watched her eyes as the screen lit her face up. They sparkled with the screen's bright reflection. After a while, she turned the phone to Brittany so that she could read.

_You were right. There are things about me that you don't know. Things that aren't good. They're not easy for me to talk about. Even though I trust you completely, I haven't brought this up in years so it's difficult. I need you to be patient with me. Can you do that?_

"Absolutely," Brittany breathed immediately. "Even if you don't want to tell me, that's ok, Santana. I'm happy knowing that you're safe and that you can wear that beautiful smile genuinely."

Santana smiled and typed something else.

_I do want to tell you. What you said earlier…in the kitchen. I feel it too. At first it scared me, but now I feel like it's all I can rely on. I hate when I'm not around you. I know that it sounds lame and clingy, but it's true._

"Oh, Santana. You don't have to worry about feeling any of those things. I love that you need me around you. Because I need you around just as much. When I heard your aunts talking, I was dreading that they were here to take you home, to take you away from me. These last twenty-four hours have been completely life-changing for me. Well, I guess I could boil it down to the day I met you. From that day, my life has been different. I knew you had to be in it, some way, somehow. And that's not to say that I orchestrated meeting you and finding your little room and everything. I-"

Santana put her hand over Brittany's mouth and smiled. The blonde nodded in understanding. It was time for her to shut up so that they could get their cuddle on. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't insanely excited. Brittany took her phone from Santana and put it back on the nightstand.

"Same as before?" Brittany suggested.

Santana shook her head and turned around. Brittany grinned and moved right behind her, enjoying the few precious moments where she felt their bodies moulding into one another. She slid her left arm under Santana's head and the younger girl happy nuzzled against it. Brittany felt her blood pressure spike to about a gazillion whatevers. She rested her right arm on Santana's waist, not sure how much snuggling the young girl wanted. As an answer, Santana took her hand and pulled it close, holding it over her heart.

_I'll keep that safe too._

Brittany held Santana to her securely. "Goodnight, beautiful. Thank you for today."

Santana squeezed her hand in response and they went still for a moment. Brittany thought she was preparing to go to sleep when she suddenly turned a little.

"Hmmm?" she asked sleepily.

Santana bit her lip, leaned forward and kissed Brittany's cheek before quickly turning around. After a few moments to digest what had just happened, Brittany nuzzled Santana's neck through her hair, causing the Latina to giggle. She could tell because of the shaking shoulders.

"This afternoon has been the best of my life. I can't believe that I get to fall asleep with you. I feel like I'm in a dream," Brittany mumbled against her hair. She doubted that Santana could understand her, but she just needed to say it, whether it was heard or not.

_I love you, Santana._

"Sweet dreams," she whispered instead, settling against the pillow and placing a soft kiss to Santana's bare shoulder.

The Latina cuddled back into her and they both fell fast asleep easily.

* * *

Brittany roused easily, feeling like she'd had the best night's sleep in a very long time. Her arms were still around Santana and she instinctively snuggled closer, although they were pretty much intertwined in every possible way. Their legs had tangled together at some point during the night. Santana had turned so that they were facing each other and their arms were securely wrapped around each other's waists. Brittany's eyes flickered over the sleeping girl and she smiled. She was so perfect.

Santana looked very peaceful and relaxed and that made Brittany happy. Their faces were really close to each other and Brittany wished that she could kiss her awake. She bit back the urge. She knew that when they did eventually kiss, that it would be the single most amazing thing she had ever experienced, which was why she didn't mind waiting. She wasn't building herself up for disappointment. If anything, she probably was underestimating how amazingly awesome their first kiss would be.

She couldn't wait for the day when they'd be sleeping just like they were and she could close the small space between them and give Santana sweet morning kisses to wake her up. And then she'd make them breakfast and make sure that the beautiful smile she loved so much would remain on her face all day.

Santana's nose scrunched up as Brittany watched her and it took a few moments for her eyes to flicker open. Still half asleep, she nuzzled into Brittany's neck and the blonde gently rolled onto her back, bringing Santana on top of her. Her hands rested low on Santana's back, right around where the tank top ended and the sweatpants began. Brittany tried desperately not to give into the desire to slide her finger underneath the shirt and run it along the smooth skin she knew she'd find hidden. Santana seemed to still be asleep as she rested peacefully against Brittany's neck. Her left hand was lying on the blonde's collarbone and the simple closeness of their position made Brittany's heart flutter. She let her head rest against Santana's and she closed her eyes again.

* * *

What seemed like minutes later, she could feel someone watching her. She blinked her eyes open lazily and was rewarded with possibly the most beautiful sight on the planet. Santana was resting her chin on her folded hands that were on Brittany's heart and those piercing dark eyes were just watching her. A contended smile played on her face.

_Morning_, Brittany mouthed, linking her fingers across Santana's back where they were still resting.

_Morning_, Santana mouthed back and it made the blonde grin widely.

_Sleep well?_ she asked_._

_Brilliantly_, Santana replied, nodding and smiling. _You?_

_Best sleep I've had in ages_.

They both smiled and took the next few moments to just stare at each other. Brittany didn't think she'd ever get tired of watching Santana. And the way that Santana was looking at her made her think that the young girl in her arms felt the same way. Brittany kept one hand on Santana's back and brought the other up to the Latina's face. Using her index finger, she traced around her hairline and down her jaw, her eyes following her finger. Santana brought one of her hand out from under her chin and did the same to Brittany's face. It felt marvellous.

Brittany's breath hitched slightly when Santana's caramel finger traced dangerously close to her lips. She swallowed as subtly as she could and tried to catch Santana's eye, but the dark orbs that had captured her heart were firmly fixed on her lips.

_Oh, God. Is she going to kiss me? I may just die and float away if she does._

Santana suddenly braced both hands next to Brittany's head and moved her body further up so that they were looking directly into each other's eyes. Brittany's heart was racing, but her finger stayed on Santana's face. Dark eyes took in every inch of Brittany's face, finally landing on her lips once more. They stayed in that position for what felt like hours. Brittany loved how, when it was just the two of them, it felt like nothing else existed. As far as she was concerned, they could be the only two people on the planet and she'd be more than happy with that.

"You're so beautiful," she whispered.

Santana's eyes met hers and Brittany smiled. She knew that Santana could see everything that she was feeling in her eyes. Her mouth opened and closed and her brows furrowed in frustration.

"It's ok, Santana," Brittany whispered comfortingly. Their eyes met again. "I know."

The brunette smiled Brittany's favourite smile and leaned down. Blue eyes fluttered closed in anticipation and her heart soared when she felt Santana's lips pressed to her cheek. She kissed her there once, twice and a third time. She lingered on the last one and Brittany couldn't stop her fingers from digging into Santana's back a little. How was it that she had never known that _this_ was how she was supposed to feel when someone kissed her? And they were just kisses on her cheek. Well, they weren't _just_ kisses. They felt like promises, like declarations. They made Brittany feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

She felt Santana pull back slightly and opened her eyes, smiling up at the younger girl, who returned it.

"Wow. I feel like whenever you touch me, my skin starts burning, but in a good way. It's completely addictive."

Santana blushed and Brittany lifted her head to kiss her heated cheeks. Once, twice, three times, just like Santana did. When she dropped her head back onto the pillow, Santana smiled at her and nodded in agreement. Brittany matched her grin at the admission that she affected the Latina as much as Santana affected her, both physically and emotionally.

"I'm so glad I met you."

Santana nodded earnestly in response. _Me too_, she mouthed.

That meant that Brittany found herself looking at her lips which, considering what had just happened, were looking beyond enticing and she was struggling with herself not to just put them both out of their misery.

_I can't. I have to let Santana make the first move_, she scolded herself.

She was almost desperate to feel those lips against hers, though. She had to swallow was she feared was a probably a whimper at her desire for the younger girl. It was getting more and more difficult by the second, especially with the position they were in, for Brittany to control herself. And she definitely didn't want to frighten Santana or push too far. Kisses on the cheek were very different to kisses on the lips.

But Santana seemed to have different ideas. She leaned down again, but wasn't aiming for her cheek. She was heading straight for Brittany's lips.

_Oh, God._

Their lips were a millimetre away when a sudden sound caused Santana to jerk back.

_Are you kidding me? Fucking alarm!_

"Sorry," Brittany whispered, removing the hand that had been exploring Santana's face to grab her phone and turn off the highly offending noise. She threw her phone somewhere on her big bed, far away from their happy bubble.

"You ok?" she asked Santana, running her hand up and down the tanned forearm next to her head.

Santana's eyes flickered to the action and then back to her. She nodded and smiled. Brittany smiled back.

"We should get ready. We're meeting Quinn in an hour."

The brunette sighed and nodded, but neither of them moved for a few minutes.

"I really would love to stay here all day, but we did make plans," Brittany hinted quietly, even though she didn't want to go anywhere.

Closing her eyes, Santana rolled off Brittany. The blonde sighed in frustration. "Would it be totally unladylike of me to throw a tantrum right now?" she muttered.

She peeked at Santana, who was giggling, her eyes sparkling. She grinned.

"You wanna shower?"

Santana nodded.

"Ok. Um…hmmm, what are we gonna do about clothes? I have some shirts that you can wear, but I think my pants will be too big for you."

Santana waved her hand, shaking her head. She pointed to the bathroom where Brittany knew her clothes from the previous day were folded neatly on the cupboard. She indicted her pants and gave a thumbs up.

"You're set for pants? You're happy to wear your jeans from yesterday?"

She nodded and smiled.

"Ok, cool. I'll grab you a shirt to wear." She sat up and stretched quickly before heading over to her closet. She grabbed a red shirt that she knew was a little tight on her and would fit Santana perfectly.

A thought entered her mind and she froze suddenly.

"Um, Santana…" she said hesitantly, turning around with the red shirt in hand.

The brunette was sitting up in bed, her hair delightfully messy and a curious expression on her face. Brittany ignored the urge to pounce back on the bed and kiss every inch of her. She cleared her throat.

"Um, w-what do you wanna do about the, um, underwear situation? You can totally wear mine. Like, I don't mind at all. I think my bras may not, um…fit you, though."

_God, could things get more awkward right now?_

Santana looked amused and got up off the bed. Brittany hardly wanted the girl to realise that she'd stared at her for insane amounts of time that she'd noticed that Santana was, um, bigger in the bust area than she was.

_This is mortifying._

Santana stood next to her dresser and opened the top drawer where Brittany's underwear was kept. She picked out a pair of blue boy shorts and held them up to Brittany for acquiescence. The blonde nodded quickly and blushed. Her eyes were glued to her feet so she felt more than saw the Latina sidle up next to her. Her blush intensified when she felt lips brush against her cheek.

"The sh-shower," Brittany mumbled, rendered completely useless by Santana's sweet gesture.

Santana responded with another kiss to her cheek before plucking the red shirt from Brittany's hands and skipping – yes, _skipping_ – to the bathroom. Once the door had closed, Brittany slid to the floor, using the closet as a brace.

_Holy sweet hell. I'm in so much trouble._

* * *

Ten minutes later, Santana walked out in her jeans and red shirt, towelling her hair dry. Brittany had managed to gather herself and had made the bed and opened some windows to let the rapidly cooling air inside. She'd already chosen her outfit for brunch and smiled at Santana as she sat on the bed. The Latina scrunched her nose in return.

"I'll be quick," Brittany promised, gathering her clothes and heading into the bathroom.

She started humming in the shower, letting the events of that morning run through her head. The day Santana finally kissed her would be the greatest moment in history. She started dancing around a little in her big shower as the song in her head played out. It was a usual thing for Brittany. Dancing was her lifeblood. Well, it had been until a certain dark eyed goddess walked into her life. Dancing was still incredible important, but everything paled in comparison to Santana.

She continued her humming when she exited the shower and dried herself off. Before dressing, she brushed her teeth, momentarily freaking out that she'd kissed Santana's cheek with morning breath.

_Ugh. Super attractive, Pierce._

She dressed quickly, winking at her reflection in the mirror and walked out, towelling her hair much the same as Santana did when she exited the bathroom. The young girl was sitting on the bed, just staring at the bedspread. It made Brittany frown.

"Hey, is everything ok?" she asked quietly, kneeling on the bed next to her.

Santana looked up and nodded with smile. She had a determined look in her eyes and Brittany arched her brows curiously.

"Something's on your mind, though," she teased.

She nodded again and lifted her hand to Brittany's face, tracing down the skin to her lips, where they stopped. Brittany's heart started racing again and she waited for Santana to do something.

And she did. She shuffled closer to Brittany so that their faces were merely centimetres apart and, this time, didn't hesitate to close the gap.

* * *

**A/N: I know! I'm a total meanie for leaving it there. But I hope you enjoyed it! Lots of Brittana fluff for you guys :)**

**Would love to hear your thoughts, be they good, bad or otherwise :)**

**Onward and up!**

**-H**

**Also, Tumblr and Twitter: hlnwst **


	7. Whodunnit

**A/N: I know…I'm terrible. No excuses would really matter, I guess. I've missed this story almost as much as you guys :)**

**Much love for the love! Overwhelmed with the response to this story :)**

**Without too much blabbing…**

**Onward and up!**

**-H**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee :(**

* * *

**CHAPTER 7: Whodunnit**

Brittany sat in their booth at _Charlie's_ and just smiled at Santana, who was sitting opposite her. The younger girl has a matching smile and no words were needed between them as they just stared at each in complete comfort while waiting for Quinn to join them.

She watched Santana's eyes flicker across her face and rest for a few seconds on her lips. The Latina's chest rose visibly and stayed that way as she held her breath, her eyes fixated on Brittany's lips. She subconsciously bit her own, which only caused Brittany to do the same.

When their eyes finally met again, Brittany smirked at the very clear want she could see in the dark orbs. She had no doubt that the desire was mirrored in her own eyes.

"Well, maybe this brunch with be better suited behind closed doors," Quinn said, arriving at the table with a smirk. "And without me."

Both Brittany and Santana flushed, breaking their locked gaze on each other. Brittany slid out of her seat and moved next to Santana. Quinn sighed dramatically and flopped down in the place that Brittany had previously occupied.

"I can't wait to get out of this place. God, my mom is driving me fucking crazy!"

"Q, what's the rule?" Brittany asked, arching an eyebrow.

Her best friend rolled her eyes. "Seriously, B? You're still trying to get me to adhere to that?"

Brittany just stared at her.

"Ugh, fine! No complaining at brunch. There, are you happy?"

"Delirious," Brittany giggled. She glanced at Santana when she felt warm fingers interlock with her own and rest on her thigh.

"Did I miss some major developments here?" Quinn asked curiously, eyeing the two of them with a knowing smile.

Brittany lifted a shoulder, not looking away from Santana. "You didn't miss anything, Q. Everything is as it should be."

Santana squeezed her hand and Brittany really wished that they were back in her bedroom. Nothing could better what had happened after coming out of the shower…

"Should I just leave?" Quinn chuckled, snapping her best friend out of her daydream. "You know, seeing as how you're either too busy looking at Santana or thinking about her."

Brittany rolled her eyes but blushed.

"In addition, my best friend seems to have forgotten any manners that she may have had," Quinn continued, holding her hand out across the table. "We haven't officially met. Quinn Fabray."

Santana nodded and clasped Quinn's outstretched hand. Luckily, it was her right so she didn't have to let go of Brittany. The dancer grinned at the thought.

"Morning, girls," Charlie greeted, approaching their table.

"Hey, Charlie," Brittany greeted. "Who let you out the kitchen?"

Charlie shrugged. "I hear the boss is like _never_ here so I pretty much have the run of the place."

"What a shady guy," Quinn commented with a straight face.

"Yeah, I may have to demand a raise." He winked. "What can I get you beautiful ladies?"

"We'll just have our usual," Brittany answered for her and Quinn. She turned to Santana who just looked at her with sparkling dark eyes. "You trust me?"

Santana nodded without hesitation.

"Ok, make it three," she amended, smiling up at Charlie.

"Awesome. Coffee as well?"

"Duh."

"Did you skip your caffeine fix this morning, Q?" Brittany teased.

"No, but I need it after last night."

"What happened last night?"

"You'd know if you looked at your phone once in a while."

Brittany flushed and sneaked a look at the girl sitting next to her. She looked just as bashful. "My time was otherwise occupied."

Quinn chuckled. "You two are going to be talk of the town for months."

At those words, Santana's eyes suddenly went wide and Brittany quickly shuffled closer to her so that their sides were pressed against each other.

"Q, we'd appreciate it if you didn't advertise anything."

"I wouldn't do that, B. But you know how people at school are. One look at the two of you and it'll be pretty obvious. People saw it on Friday already."

Brittany narrowed her eyes. "Like who?"

Quinn detected her tone and lifted an eyebrow in curiosity. "You guys were hardly subtle in the hallway with your cute little waves and shit. Plus, B, you fell on your ass cos you couldn't stop staring."

_Thanks, Q. Really._

She could feel Santana looking at her and chanced an embarrassed fleeting look, but was relieved to find a small smile playing on Santana's lips.

"So where'd you guys disappear to anyway? Mike was not happy."

Brittany sighed. "Some shit went down and I had to take care of it. It was more important at the time."

"Ok," Quinn said slowly, clearly not used to Brittany not divulging what happened.

"Q, it's…just rather leave it, ok?"

She nodded and shrugged. "It's cool. If you wanted to tell me, you would."

"It's not that I don't want to…"

Santana's other hand came to rest on her bicep and Brittany looked at her. She frowned as the brunette nodded slightly.

"You sure, San?"

She nodded again after a brief pause. She curled her fingers around Brittany's forearm and rested her head on her shoulder. Brittany couldn't stop the gleeful smile that crossed her face. She brushed her lips across Santana's forehead and looked at her best friend.

"Santana and I were meant to have lunch together on Friday, but she didn't show. I thought she'd maybe changed her mind, but-" Brittany had to take a moment to quell her rising anger as she remembered that moment, the disbelief of seeing the girl she loved in utter despair.

She felt Santana rest her chin on her shoulder, but couldn't bring herself to look at the girl. She didn't want Santana to see her angry, almost uncontrollably so. She didn't want to scare her. She'd sure as hell seen enough of that to last her a lifetime.

Brittany wouldn't let that happen. She couldn't.

"B?" Quinn asked timidly.

Blue eyes met hazel and an understanding passed between the two friends. Brittany didn't often get angry. Sure, she got pissed every now and then, but anger was rare.

"I w-went to the bathroom in th-the academic wing and…and…" She blinked and was surprised to feel two tears run simultaneously down her cheeks. Santana's hand left her arm and reached up, cradling her cheek to direct her face towards her.

"S-Santana, I-" Brittany choked.

The Latina managed to hold her gaze and as hard as it was for Brittany to try to bury the anger she was feeling so as not to frighten her, she found herself calming slightly. Brittany took a deep and closed her eyes. A huge surprise was feeling Santana's lips on her cheek where the tear that had escaped was still trickling down her face. Almost instantly, the anger was gone. She opened her eyes and Santana lifted both her eyebrows, asking if she was ok.

Brittany took a deep breath and nodded. Santana dropped her hand and curled it around the dancer's arm returning to her previous cuddling position. Brittany was really starting to love how much Santana enjoyed cuddling, and how comfortable she seemed to be out in public. She'd thought that, after yesterday, that Santana would be super wary of it.

She made a mental note to ask her about it later.

"Sorry, Q," she apologised, realising that Quinn had seen their little exchange. Her best friend was generally uncomfortable with _that_ kind of public display. Brittany was pretty sure that anyone would be able to see how she felt about Santana, which also made her wonder if the person responsible for attacking Santana had seen them together at some point.

_Shit. What if this is all my fault? What if I unintentionally did something or slept with someone or… Fuck. If this…_

Suddenly, Santana's hands were on both of her cheeks and dark eyes were pleading with her.

"But…it could be," she whispered.

Santana shook her head, biting her lip nervously. She just kept shaking her head, trying to convince Brittany the only way she knew how to. Her mouth opened and closed and she furrowed her brow in frustration.

Brittany supposed that Santana's next move was instinctive, but she just let her eyes flutter closed when she felt the softest lips in the world cover her own. She could feel it in Santana's kiss. She felt the urgency for her to believe that Santana didn't blame her. That she trusted her. And there was something else there…but Brittany didn't want to read too much into it just yet.

She broke the short kiss and rested her forehead against Santana's. "Ok," she whispered. "You win. For now. If I find out-"

Santana covered Brittany's mouth with her hand and looked at her sternly. The blonde sighed and nodded in resignation. Her right arm went around Santana's waist, pulling her close and Santana linked her fingers to rest on Brittany's shoulder.

"Well, I feel like the proverbial third wheel," Quinn muttered, glancing at her chipped black nail polish.

"Quinn, I'm sorry…again. It's just…once you hear what happened, I think you'll understand why it's so difficult for me to actually say. I just…when I think about it, I…" Words failed her and she frowned in frustration.

"Look, B, if it's too hard to say and it makes you mad, then maybe I don't wanna know," Quinn cut in, holding up a hand.

"No, no. I mean, yeah, I guess you don't _have_ to know, but you're my best friend and this is…important to me."

"What's important?"

Brittany met her gaze clearly. "Finding out who did this."

Santana breathed out heavily through her nose, the air brushing Brittany's neck. She wouldn't budge, not on this.

"Um, did _what_, B?"

"I opened the last stall in the bathroom and someone had t-taped Santana…" She closed her eyes and took a breath. "Someone had taped her to the toilet."

Quinn's eyes widened. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

Santana's fingers were digging into Brittany's shoulder almost painfully and she knew that the younger girl was rehashing what she'd been through.

"But what…how…who? What the _fuck_? Why would someone even do that?"

Brittany just sent her a look that said _I know_.

"Ok, I get why you're so pissed now. Did you…I mean, did you see anyone? Did you report it?"

"No, but I will find out who's responsible and they're going to pay dearly."

She felt Santana's body completely tense against her and her eyes widened in alarm when she turned her head to see Santana's eyes squeezed closed, her knuckles white as they gripped her shoulders.

"Shit, shit, shit," Brittany mumbled, keeping Santana close to her as she slid out the booth. "We'll be right back, Q. Sorry!"

Thankfully the bathroom was only a few steps away. She held Santana to her, half carrying her to the bathroom. It was empty and Brittany made quick work of locking the door behind them. Santana's arms immediately went around her neck.

_Stupid! Stupid! Goddamn fucking stupid! Did you really think that telling Quinn was a good idea? You should have known better! Now she's having a fucking panic attack because of you!_

Brittany wrapped both her arms around Santana and held her close, cursing herself over and over again in her head.

_Protecting her does not mean scare the shit out of her. Dumbass._

"I got you," she murmured instead. "I'm not going to let anything ever happen to you. I promise, Santana."

Santana just buried her head into Brittany's neck and held her tightly. She wavered on her feet and Brittany was quick to scoop her up and seat her on the row of sinks.

"Don't cry, please," Brittany begged. "I'm so sorry that I brought it up. I shouldn't have. It was too much for you and I should have known that. I'm sorry, Santana. I'm so sorry."

The younger girl loosened her grip around Brittany's neck and she cups caramel cheeks, placing soft kisses against the wetness.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she murmured in between kisses. "I didn't mean to scare you. I'm so sorry."

Santana dropped her hands down Brittany's body to her hips and pulled her closer. They looked at each other, the irony of their location forgotten. Not that Brittany had thought about bringing it up. Santana's eyes were dark and shiny from her tears, but it didn't make them any less captivating to Brittany. They were close to each other, close enough to feel their breaths on each other's faces, but neither girl moved. They just kept their gazes locked.

Brittany wondered if Santana was thinking anything close to what she was. The sudden thought of comforting Santana for the rest of her life entered her mind, stalled and stayed put. The image of them in ten, twenty or even fifty years' time made the butterflies in her tummy multiply and go crazy.

She was in love with Santana Lopez.

And she would never love anyone else.

Santana was it. She was the one. She was her soul mate. Her other half. She was it.

"I love you," Brittany breathed, unable to stop the words from escaping. She swallowed and licked her lips. Santana's eyes were wide and her mouth slightly agape. "I know that this probably isn't the best setting for me to say that for the first time, but I have to tell you. Santana, I love you. I have for a while, I think, but I kind of only realised it yesterday."

As she said the words a second time, she decided that nothing had ever tasted quite so good on her tongue. It felt so right to say those magical three words to the girl in front h=of her, even if the owner of her heart was just staring at her in disbelief.

"You don't have to say anything, Santana," Brittany said softly, smiling a soft smile. Her hands rested on the Latina's jean-clad thighs. "I didn't say it to get a response from you. I said it because I needed to. I need you to know how I feel. I need you to know that this isn't something in passing for me." She swallowed as another declaration bubbled to the surface. "It..this…you…you're it for me, Santana." She shrugged and smiled again.

She started making patterns into the denim under her fingers, looking into Santana's eyes, which were brimming with emotion. Unspoken emotion. She could see it. She was almost afraid to believe it – how lucky could she be if Santana felt the same way? She wanted that more than anything in the world, especially because she knew that there could never be anyone else. But she didn't want to give herself any false hope. Knowing that Santana loved her – or _if_ she loved her – and then finding out that she didn't would probably be worse than never knowing at all.

Brittany was content to wait. She would always wait. She recalled Holly's voice the previous day and nodded to herself. If all Santana wanted or needed was a friend then she would be the best goddamn friend the young girl would ever have.

Forever.

She would never let her go.

* * *

_Brittany didn't freeze, but welcomed the first taste of Santana's lips on hers gladly. Anything that she had imagined paled in comparison to what it _actually_ felt like to kiss Santana. Her lips were so soft and fit around hers so perfectly. Brittany's heart was thumping so hard she was sort of scared that it was about to beat its way right out of her chest and snuggle comfortably in Santana's hand._

…And what a delightful image to have when you're finally kissing the girl you love. Nice one, Pierce.

_She put all her focus into kissing Santana back. Although the actual kiss was soft and gentle, the feelings behind it were monumental. Brittany could feel it all through her body and she was pretty sure that Santana did too._

_Without disconnecting their lips, Santana shuffled closer. Brittany parted her lips a little and massaged them against Santana's._

God, this is by far the most insanely amazing kiss I have ever had.

_She wrapped an arm around Santana's waist and held her close. Her other hand lifted to cup her face and she smiled against Santana's lips as she let her fingers trace down caramel skin to her neck._

_Santana broke away slightly to deposit quick breaths over Brittany's lips. The blonde found it super sexy. She watched Santana open her eyes slowly and a smile flickered across her face. They stayed that close to each other until Brittany made the first move and joined their lips again._

_Once again, the kiss was soft and gentle, but so incredibly passionate at the same time. Brittany had never been more sure of her love for the girl in her arms and it felt wonderful. She was still kneeling on the bed and gracefully sat back, pulling Santana with her. The brunette straddled her lap and they were suddenly pressed very close together._

_The sensation was almost an overload for Brittany and she had to break the kiss to gasp. Santana's arms went around her neck and she rested their foreheads together. Brittany tried to get her breath back, but being so close to Santana just seemed to leave her completely breathless. She was holding the girl in of her dreams in her arms after sharing an explosive kiss. She felt like she was dreaming._

_Santana was quick to bring her back to reality by kissing her cheek softly three times before kissing down to her neck._

Like that's helping with the breathlessness.

_She dug her fingers into Santana's hips. Fuck, it was _so_ much better than her dreams._

"_Ssss…hmmm…S-San," Brittany whispered desperately. "If-if you d-don't stop that soon, I won't be responsible for completely ravishing you."_

_Santana pulled away and looked at Brittany with an amused expression. The blonde immediately became distracted by her puffy lips that were deliciously swollen._

"_A-and…and I don't want to force anything to happen that you're not ready for."_

_Santana kissed her cheek again. She didn't give Brittany a chance to protest before sucking her bottom lip. The blonde let out an embarrassingly loud moan and kissed back with new fervour. She was wary of pushing too far, but she would have never guessed that Santana was _such _an addictively good kisser._

_Their bodies were pulled close together as Brittany tightened her grip around Santana's waist. Their breasts were pressed against each other's and Brittany was pretty sure she'd died and gone to heaven. Every experience with Santana just became her new favourite thing. She _definitely_ planned on more kissing sessions._

_Never in a million years would she have guessed that her shy musical genius would be so incredibly confident with the level of physical intimacy that they were experiencing. And, hot damn, it was sexy as hell. Brittany always found confidence a big turn on and the fact that Santana was straddling her, pressing into her body and controlling their kiss so effortlessly was _very_ alluring._

_Eventually, they broke away from each other and Brittany grinned._

"_Best. Kiss. Ever," she whispered._

_Santana flushed and bit her swollen lip. Brittany had to physically restrain herself from pressing their lips together again._

"_We should probably get going," she said reluctantly, moving her hands to Santana's hips. "Even though I'm really comfortable exactly as I am."_

_Santana rolled her eyes and giggled. Brittany knew it was giggle because it was totally girly and shy and nothing like her chuckle. Even though she couldn't hear it, she knew the difference – something that she was damn proud of._

_Santana leaned back a little, but didn't break away completely. Her fingers ran through Brittany's loose hair, still damp from her shower. It felt frigging amazing and her eyes fluttered closed involuntarily. _

_They flew open the second she felt Santana's lips on her neck again._

God_, how could something feel that good?_

"_F-fuck, San. No, y-you gotta stop," Brittany groaned, her tone belying what she really wanted. Summoning some kind of willpower from God knew where, Brittany pulled away._

"_Seriously. I would love to stay here with and kiss you for the rest of the weekend, but we did promise Quinn we'd meet her and I hate breaking my promises."_

_Santana smiled and nodded, stealing a quick kiss that Brittany didn't have a chance to reciprocate before she pulled completely away from the blonde. She couldn't stop a small pout that crossed her lips._

_The brunch better be done quickly._

* * *

The memory of their first kiss that had been shared not an hour ago flashed through her mind and she pecked Santana's lips.

"Never thought I'd render you speechless," she teased quietly and was rewarded with a shy smile.

Santana dropped her gaze and suddenly transformed into the shy girl that had reduced the most popular and confident girl in school to a pile of mush. Brittany grinned and chanced taking one of Santana's hands from her hips and linking their fingers together. She exhaled quietly when the brunette brought their joined hands to her lap and covered them with her other hand. She lifted her eyes and met Brittany's once again.

Brittany cocked her head and smiled.

"Hey, beautiful," she whispered. "Are you ok?"

Santana smiled and lifted a shoulder.

"Well, we'll get there together. Unfortunately for you, Miss Lopez, you're stuck with me for the foreseeable future. And hopefully the unseen future."

_Wow. Cheese fest. You're so lame._

If her cheesiness got Santana to smile, then she'd do it happily.

"Would you like me to help you down?" Brittany asked.

Santana nodded, but held onto Brittany's hand when she tried to pull it away. The blonde looked up at her curiously.

"What's up?"

The Latina was seemingly nervous about something, so Brittany just waited patiently. She felt wonderful after finally confessing her feelings. She was really glad that Santana knew. She hadn't freaked out or anything, which was a plus. Eventually, Santana lifted one hand and brought it up to her mouth. She positioned her index finger horizontally in front of her lips and made a circular motion forward.

Brittany grinned and wiggled closer to her love. "I love you, Santana."

Santana smiled a toothy smile, her hand went behind Brittany's neck and she crashed their lips together. She moved her lips perfectly against Santana's and, although she was getting desperate to feel her tongue, she held her control.

But she really wanted to.

Their kisses became softer until Santana was simply brushing her lips against Brittany's. At one point, she let them rest, not moving and Brittany smiled against them. She nuzzled Santana's nose with her own affectionately and she felt Santana smile. Her lips started moving again and Brittany originally thought she was preparing to kiss her, but something was different. It took her all but a second to realise that Santana was saying something.

She was saying something against her lips.

_Santana was talking to her!_

Brittany tried desperately to calm her excitement and concentrate on what Santana was saying, but it wasn't easy. Her excitement was forgotten the second she felt Santana's tongue brush her bottom lip. Desire rocketed through every cell. A few movements passed and she felt it again. Her heart was pounding so loudly that she could almost hear it in her head.

_Focus. Goddamn focus, Pierce._

That would require her ignoring the fact that Santana's tongue was brushing her bottom lip ever so slightly every three or so seconds.

Hold up.

Three seconds.

Three…

Was Santana…?

Brittany squeezed her eyes closed and really listened to what Santana was saying. It took a few times, but she felt it. She heard it _and_ felt it.

_I…_

_Love…_

_You…_

_I love you. _

Santana was saying it back. She was saying it back! Brittany couldn't hold herself back. Her right hand gripped the back of Santana's neck and she kissed her hard. The Latina responded immediately. Brittany's control was slipping fast. Santana loved her and she loved Santana and she just wanted to give her _everything_ of herself.

She gently traced her tongue along Santana's bottom lip before retracting it back into her mouth and letting their lips just move against each other. She knew Santana had felt it if the way her fingers had into her lower back where they'd found their way.

Brittany dared to do it again and as soon as she'd returned her tongue to her mouth, she felt Santana's velvety tongue lazily run across her bottom lip and then her top one too. The blonde trembled. She wasn't even sure if her body could handle the onslaught of intense want she was experiencing. She had to break their kiss to try and catch her breath. Santana was _doing_ things to her that she'd never felt before. She felt like her body about to spontaneously combust, but in the absolute best way possible.

Santana tipped Brittany's up so that their eyes met. Brittany saw it all there – the love, the unwavering trust, the adoration. It made her feel invincible. She could do anything if Santana continued looking at her like that. The brunette leaned down again. Almost as soon as their lips met, so did their tongues.

Brittany let out an embarrassingly loud moan, but the way that Santana gripped and twisted her shirt told her that she was feeling exactly the same thing. Better than feeling what she was feeling – which was _awesome_ – was knowing that Santana was feeling it all too.

Their tongues moved against each other softly and it was perfect.

Santana was perfect.

And she loved Brittany.

* * *

Quinn stared at the door where Brittany had taken Santana.

_What the actual fuck?_

She wasn't even sure what the hell she'd witnessed. First they were super duper in love – it was _so_ obvious – then Britt went all Hulk, then Santana made out with her, then the _what the fuck_ that happened to Santana, then Britt pulling a Houdini with Santana a minute ago.

She frowned at her nails. Who the hell would have done something like that to Santana? The girl couldn't even speak! It took a special kind of cruel to do shit like that.

Quinn pulled her lips to one side as she contemplated something she'd seen a few minutes before. When Britt has been semi-green on her highway to Hulkdom, Santana had grabbed her face and stared at her, but she'd opened her mouth as though she wanted to say something.

_Mute people shouldn't feel the need to express themselves verbally because they can't. So they don't even have the desire to._

The only reason that Santana could have for still expressing that desire would be that she lost her ability to speak legitimately a few years ago, maybe even less. Which begged the question… Was she still mute? Or was it a defence mechanism?

She hated moral decisions like this. But…it was Britt. And she'd always do anything for Britt. Should she dig deeper and find out if Santana was the real deal or if the whole mute thing was just a ploy or something? Or should she just leave it? She saw how Britt looked at her and, for that matter, how Santana looked at her. Maybe there was a reason behind what she suspected. And it could be something perfectly harmless.

"Coffee!" Charlie cheered as he brought over three cups on a tray and the pot.

Quinn smirked. "Wow. You're reduced to serving the coffee." She tsked. "You should really consider having a word with this guy, Charlie. Or, you know, I could kick his ass for you."

"Aw, aren't you such a sweet little badass," Charlie cooed.

Quinn stuck her tongue out and eagerly grabbed the sugar, letting the white granules pour into the dark liquid. Charlie just watched her.

"Sure you don't want syrup? I'm sure I could rustle something up."

"Full of charm this morning. Maybe that's why the boss keeps you hidden in the kitchen."

"Oh, snap," Charlie chuckled. He glanced at the empty booth across from her. "What happened to the hotties?"

Quinn gasped. "Are you implying that I'm not hot, Charlie?"

"I'm implying that they're hot. I never said that you weren't," he replied sassily.

"Good answer," she said after a pause. "Oh, they went to the bathroom. Probably defiling your sinks as we speak."

"Huh? Britt and the mysterious girl?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Should I…knock?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," Quinn stage-whispered. "Britt gets super pissed if she gets interrupted during sex."

"How would you-no, never mind. A father doesn't need to know such things. Food'll be out in seven."

"Thanks, Charlie," Quinn sing-songed, taking a sip of her guilty pleasure. "Hmmm."

She glanced at the closed door. She hoped that everything was ok. Santana looked really freaked out. Even if her mutism wasn't real, taping someone to a toilet without knowing any better was _not_ cool. Britt looked ready to murder someone. She guessed she'd do the same if someone had dared do anything to-

"Quinn?"

_Jesus, did I just fucking summon her?_

She looked up and tried really hard to hide the sharp intake of breath as Rachel sat down where her sister had been sitting a few minutes before.

"Hey," the blonde mumbled.

"Um, how are you?"

She shrugged. "Outstanding." She focused on her coffee. "Yourself?"

"I've been…good."

"Fantastic."

They lapsed into a highly uncomfortable silence that Quinn wasn't about to break anytime soon. She hated that her heart still raced at a million miles an hour whenever Rachel was within eye shot. She hated how her body always betrayed her, much like the girl opposite her had. She was still _so_ angry and bitter – she didn't deny it – at Rachel for what she'd put her through. Three weeks after they'd decided to really give a relationship between them a go and she chooses fucking Finn over her.

Why? Because he gave her a goddamn ring?

She could've given her a ring. If she'd let her. Maybe, one day she would've…

"Your sister's in the bathroom."

"Oh, thanks. I actually wasn't looking for her."

Quinn lifted her eyes curiously. She wasn't looking for Brittany? Then why would she have come over? Unless…

"Who were you looking for?" she asked quietly.

"Um, you, actually."

_Calm, stay calm. Don't get your hopes up. You know how pro she is at doing that and then stepping all over you._

Quinn kept her face as impassive as possible and waited for a response.

"Uh, well…as you know, I'm looking to move to New York after, um, graduation," Rachel began.

Quinn snorted. Yeah, she had to wait for Gigantor to graduate cos he flunked his freshman year and had been a year behind Rachel.

"Quinn," Rachel said warningly.

"Don't walk down to me," Quinn suddenly flared up. "You don't get a say in how I react or what I say. Yeah, you have to put _your_ dreams on hold because your Lard Bear decided to flunk. _Such_ a catch, Rachel. Have I congratulated the two of you on the engagement?" She slapped her forehead. "Oh my God! How completely rude of me! May you and not-so-Finnocence have many happy decades of you deferring to him because he's completely incapable of making any decisions unless they're to do with you, then all of a sudden he's an authority on telling you what to do. What a catch." She clapped slowly, her gaze icy.

Rachel held it evenly. It was one thing she'd always been able to do. Quinn was known as the Ice Queen for a reason and only two people had ever really gotten past that façade – Brittany Pierce and Rachel Berry.

And only one of those two got to see behind the wall now.

"You can't hate me forever," Rachel stated.

"Try me."

"Quinn, you know you can't."

"Oh, yeah, Obi Wan? How's that?"

"Because you still love me."

"No, I don't. I never did." It was a knee-jerk reaction, but it hurt to say. Like a motherfucker.

"You can't lie to me. I can tell."

"I'll be sure to give you a Noddy badge for that."

"Quinn, stop it."

"Why?" Quinn glared at her. "Why do you get to be happy-go-fucking-lucky while _I'm_ the one that has to see you guys at the fucking supermarket or some shit and pretend that what you did was _ok_? It wasn't, Rachel. What you did was so far from ok."

"I…I know. And I realised that I didn't properly apologise for how I handled things."

Quinn snorted. "Handled things? I had to find out from your sister that the girl that I _thought_ was my girlfriend was getting married to a guy that she'd dumped because he'd told you that he didn't want you seeing me. Rethink your choice of words. You didn't do jack shit."

Rachel sighed. "Quinn, I get that you're pissed-"

"I'm not pissed, Rachel. You've seen me pissed. This goes way beyond pissed and hits livid right in the nuts."

"Thanks for the visual."

"Oh, I thought that's what you liked these days."

"Quinn, don't go there."

"It's only ok for you to go there, huh? So fucking hypocritical."

"If you're just going to fight with me, I'm just gonna go."

"I never asked you to interrupt my brunch," Quinn grumbled, folding her arms across her chest.

She glanced up enough to see Rachel looking past her and smiling. She drowned the rest of her coffee and wished that she'd brought her flask. She could definitely use some Irish coffee.

"Who are you talking to, Rach?" she heard Finn asked as he approached the table. "Oh."

Quinn just looked up at him and immediately had to fight the urge to punch his obnoxious little face. He still liked to laud over her the fact that he'd gotten the girl. Brittany always stepped in before she really let her fists fly. She was semi-grateful for her best friend at those times.

"Hey, Quinn."

"Lumps."

"Quinn," Rachel said in that warning tone.

The blonde sent her a stone cold glare that told her exactly one thing: _Shut the fuck up_.

"Where's Britt?" Finn asked.

"Bathroom," Quinn replied.

"Ok. How'd her re-eval go yesterday?"

"You're engaged to her fucking sister, dumbass. Ask her, not me. Or better yet, ask her yourself."

She made the mistake of looking up at the douche's face and saw him smirking at her. It made her blood boil. He knew _exactly_ what he was doing. And she was falling right into his trap.

"Charlie?" she called.

He appeared over her shoulder, leaning on the empty booth behind Quinn. "You hollered, Highness."  
"I'm calling in that favour," she said, her eyes not leaving Finn's.

"Which one?" Charlie chuckled.

"October twenty. If I needed a special something, you'd make it happen. Remember?"

"I do. Um, kinda early, isn't it?"

She shot him a glance and he held up his hands, spinning off the seat and heading back into the kitchen. If fucking Finchel were going to hang around to make her morning hell, she was going to definitely need alcohol.

* * *

"Ready?" Brittany whispered, one hand on the bathroom lock and the other intertwined with Santana's.

She nodded with a big smile and leaned in for a quick kiss. Brittany hummed in approval. "I'm definitely going to get addicted to those kisses if you're not careful."

Santana looked up as though she was contemplating whether or not to be careful.

"Tease," Brittany chuckled, flipping the lock and pulling the door open. She and Santana stepped back into the restaurant and she paused. "Oh."

She definitely wasn't expecting to see her sister sitting in her seat, with Finn standing next to her no doubt sending Quinn that irritating shit-eating look-at-me-I-got-the-girl grin. It took a lot for her to stop Quinn from punching him a lot of the time.

"Looks like you get to meet my sister," she said, pulling Santana close. "Hi, Rach," she greeted as they reached the table. She flicked her eyes to Finn. "Finn."

"Hey, Britt," he greeted.

She felt Santana completely freeze and tense up again. She ignored Rachel's greeting and looked to her left. Santana looked petrified as she stared at Finn. Brittany looked at her soon-to-be brother-in-law (ew) and saw him looking slightly uncomfortable.

"San, what is it?"

She started trembling and staggered a few steps back. Brittany stood in front of her, blocking her vision of Finn. Her heart ached at the unbridled fear in her eyes. It was a familiar fear, though. It was the same fear she'd seen the day before when she'd found her…

No.

Surely not.

He was a douche the majority of the time, but he wouldn't ever do something like _that_.

Would he?

"Was it him?" was all she asked.

Santana just nodded once.

_Son of a bitch_.

She whirled around and took two long strides to reach him, letting her clenched fist fly to his face. There was a sickening crunch as her knuckles hit his nose and her hand exploded into pain.

"Ow, fuck!" she yelled, cradling her right hand.

Finn held his nose and groaned.

"Jesus, Brittany! What the hell has gotten into you?" Rachel snapped.

"Rachel, ask Finn what he was doing at the beginning of lunch yesterday," Brittany replied through gritted teeth.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Quinn growled. Within a second, she was up out of her seat, punching Finn again, giving him a knee in the crotch for good measure.

Finn tumbled to the ground and Quinn joined Brittany as they headed back to Santana. The young girl immediately latched onto Brittany, burying her face into her neck as sobs shook her body.

"I got you, baby. Nothing's gonna happen, I promise."

"Brittany!"

She turned slowly, still holding Santana to her. Rachel stormed up to her.

"Care to explain what the hell that was? I know that Quinn's wanted to punch him for months, but you've always appeared to be supportive of my relationship with him."

Brittany rolled her eyes. "Rachel, you're my sister and I love you, but you broke my best friend's heart to be with the world's biggest asshole. I merely _tolerate_ him because you, somehow, have managed to see some invisible redeeming qualities."

Rachel's brow furrowed in hurt and her eyes flickered to Santana, quivering in Brittany's secure embrace. Even Quinn had a hand on Santana's back, something that Brittany was grateful for. When it counted, she knew her best friend would always be in her corner.

"Britt, what's going on?" Rachel asked a little more quietly.

"We shouldn't do this here."

"Fine, we'll go home. I'll get Finn and meet-"

"If he steps foot in my house, you're not welcome," Brittany warned.

Rachel was shocked. "Britt?"

"I mean it, Rachel. Finn is no longer allowed in the house. I swear to God that I will do some serious damage."

"O-Ok. Fine. I'll be there in an hour. I have to at least get him to a hospital or something."

"Pretty sure it's an improvement," Quinn muttered and Brittany suppressed a smile.

"Santana?" she asked quietly, nudging a caramel cheek with her nose. "Are you ok with us going home?"

Santana head snapped back and she looked at Brittany in disbelief. Brittany's eyes widened.

"No, no, my home. Not yours. Sorry."

Santana closed her eyes, tears still running down and nodded.

"Ok, stay close. Quinn, could you take care of Charlie, please?"

Her best friend nodded and headed for the counter where Charlie was half in the kitchen, reaching for Benny. Brittany tucked Santana to her and walked quickly past Finn, whose face looked a mess.

_Nothing will ever be enough for what he did._

She caught Charlie's eye as they passed the counter and headed for the door. He nodded in understanding and she smiled gratefully. She unlocked her car and headed to the passenger side and opened the door.

"Come on, baby. In you go," she coaxed. "I'll be back in the car before you know it."

Santana climbed into the car, wringing her hands. As she jogged around the car, she tried to take two or three deep breaths to get rid of some of the rage that was rolling of her in waves. Santana needed calm. She needed to be calm.

The ride home was silent, with Santana holding Brittany's sore hand in both of hers. She pulled into the driveway and saw Quinn pull up next to her.

"Hey, how are things?" Quinn asked, getting out of her car.

Brittany smiled. "Open up for me, would ya?" She leaned against the open door and just looked at Santana, who looked nervous and uncertain. She hated it.

"I love you," she said.

Santana's eyes snapped to her and she was happy to see a small smile, even if it faded after a second. She held out her arms which Santana latched onto and jumped out of the car.

"You ok like that?"

Santana nodded and Brittany closed the door, locking her car and headed to the house. She headed straight up to her room, picking up that Quinn was talking to either her mom or dad, maybe both.

The Latina immediately headed for her side of the bed – Brittany had to smile at that thought – and picked up her phone, her fingers flying across the screen. Brittany just sat on the bed next to her and waited. After a few moments, she was handed Santana's phone.

_I don't know if I can go through this. I can't even think about it without completely freaking out. Can I stay up here? I'll be ok with you talking with your sister, but I just can't. I'm sorry._

"Don't apologise, Santana," Brittany said softly, pulling her into her lap. "You have _nothing_ to be sorry for. And if you want to stay up here, then that's absolutely fine. Anything you need."

Santana put her hand over Brittany's heart. The blonde smiled. "You'll always have that."

She put her arms around Santana and pulled her closer. It was reminiscent of how they'd sat together in the stall the previous day.

So much had happened in twenty-four hours. Hell, a lot had happened in forty-eight hours. Brittany felt like her entire life had changed – for the better. They sat like that for minutes, maybe longer, completely content to just let time pass them by as they cuddled into one another.

"Um, Britt?" Quinn asked hesitantly from the doorway.

She felt Santana tense momentarily, but relax again once she realised it was just Quinn.

"What's up, Q?"

"Um, I just spoke to your mom. I told her what happened at the diner and that Rachel's coming over. I didn't say anything else."

"Ok, thanks, Q. I'll be down in a bit. Um, could you give us a minute?"

"Yeah, sure." She disappeared from the doorway, her footsteps thumping down the stairs to the second floor landing. She'd always been a heavy walker.

Santana tapped her shoulder and indicated the bed. Brittany smiled and pulled Santana's shoes off for before kicking off her own and shuffling back onto the bed. She was sitting against the headboard, Santana spread across the length of the bed with her head in her lap.

"San, I do need to ask how much you'd like me to tell my mom and Rachel. They're going to ask questions, but if you'd rather I didn't, then I won't."

Santana was quiet for a bit and Brittany could see her chewing on her lip adorably. Her fingers ran through her lusciously dark locks. Eventually, she got a nod.

"San, what does that mean?" she prompted.

She rolled onto her back, her head still in Brittany's lap and pulled her hands into two fists in front of her, brushed the one thumb against the fingers of the other hand and dropped her hand as if to say _there you go_.

Brittany winced. The sign made no sense to her. She was in love with girl, but couldn't understand her language. That needed to be rectified and soon.

"Um, I'm really sorry, San, but I don't understand," she mumbled, feeling stupid.

Santana sat up and grabbed her phone. Brittany huffed to herself. She shouldn't have to use a phone to communicate with Santana when they were sitting right next to each other. It was maddeningly frustrating.

When Santana lay back down, she handed Brittany her phone.

_Firstly, you're not allowed to be mad at yourself for not knowing sign language. We'll get there. And secondly, you can tell them everything. I trust you, and by extension, that means I should be able to trust them because you do._

"San, it's not about whether I trust them, it's about whether you feel comfortable that I talk about a really difficult experience for you."

Santana just shrugged and Brittany frowned. She desperately wanted to know what was going on in Santana's head, and even though they were close physically, she was starting to get the impression that Santana was pulling away emotionally, shutting herself off a bit. And hell, it was understandable. No one could have anticipated that she was going to end up face to face with the asshole who'd tortured her in the first place.

"Hey," she said gently, cupping her cheek.

Santana looked up at her. Brittany leaned down to kiss her. They traded a few soft kisses, fairly innocent until she heard the front door slam closed. She sighed and pulled away, leaning back down to peck Santana's lips affectionately.

"The diva has arrived," she said dryly. "Let me go and sort this out so that I can come and snuggle with you."

Santana shuffled off Brittany's lap and onto her pillow, grabbing Brittany's and holding it closer. The blonde smiled and climbed off the bed, heading to her closet. She opened it and pulled out her McKinley hoodie, tossing it to Santana.

"There you go, beautiful. Something to tide you over until I come back."

Santana nodded and held up her phone. Brittany checked her pockets and produced her phone with a smile.

"You need anything, you just ask. I'll be up in a flash."

She walked back to the bed for a final kiss. Santana grabbed Brittany's hand and manipulated the fingers in something that looked like the hang ten sign. She mirrored the sign and held her hand up as a demonstration. Brittany copied it and smiled, but she wasn't sure of what it meant.

Santana must have seen her confusion because she gripped the front of her shirt and pulled her back to her lips where she said _I love you_ again. It sent tingles throughout her body. Santana pulled back and showed the sign. Brittany smiled in comprehension and copied the sign.

"I love you too." She kissed Santana one last time and groaned when she heard her mom call for her. "I gotta go. I'll just be downstairs if you need anything."

The pout that Santana sent her almost made her abandon any and all logic, but she knew that she needed to sort out the shit storm waiting for her downstairs.

"Ugh, you're too goddamn sexy for your own good," Brittany teased, heading out of the bedroom and blowing Santana a kiss.

She raced downstairs and skidded to a halt at the entrance to the bar. All the family talks were done with alcohol in close proximity. It was safer.

Rachel already had a spritzer, while Quinn was nursing a soda that probably had a little more than some rum. She poured herself a glass of water. Santana probably wouldn't appreciate the smell of alcohol on her breath when they were supposed to be talking about something important.

"Ok, you need to start from the beginning," Rachel said immediately. She looked frazzled.

"Well, there was a man and a woman and they loved each other-"

"Cut the sarcastic shit, Brittany!" Rachel snapped. "This is serious. Think you can try being serious for once?"

"How about you take her seriously for once?" Quinn cut in.

"Girls," Victoria said tiredly. "Focus."

Brittany sat on a bar stool. "You want the whole story? Fine, you're gonna get it. And you're gonna listening without opening your trap, got it, Rachel?"

Rachel looked taken aback, but nodded. Brittany took a gulp of water and a deep breath before launching into the story, starting from lunch the previous day. Her mom got paler and Rachel just looked devastated. Quinn looked more and more pissed.

"Rachel, I'm warning you – if this whole thing results in lasting problems for Santana, shit's gonna hit the fan. She's got enough to deal with."

"Like what?" Rachel asked.

Brittany stared at her, but when it was clear that she felt she was asking a legitimate question, she sighed.

"Rachel, she's mute."

"And?"

"Jesus, you and Lumps deserve each other," Quinn muttered, draining her drink.

"Just imagine, if you would, Rachel – I know it's hard – what it would be like not to be able to speak."

I don't-"

"_Ever_, Rachel. Not just for a day or two to rest her voice like you did. She's can't speak. At all. Not even if she wanted to."

"That's not even the point," Quinn added, pouring herself a new drink. "The point is that the ogre you carry on your arm is responsible for nearly torturing a mute girl. It's bullying in its worst form, Rachel. You can't have changed so much that you don't see how wrong this is."

"He…he said that Puck made him do it."

Brittany's blood boiled. "Well, I'll be going ferret hunting later, but Finn isn't in fucking middle school anymore, Rachel. The old 'he made me do it' excuse doesn't work anymore. Unless Finn doesn't actually have a brain and if that's the case then I have to ask what the hell you're doing marrying him."

"Brittany," Victoria warned.

"Mom!" Brittany said in exasperation. "Please tell her that I'm right!"

Victoria looked conflicted. Brittany hated making her choose sides because she loved Rachel as much as she loved her biological daughter. But Rachel had to see that Finn was wrong. She had to…

"Rachel, what else did Finn say?" Victoria asked diplomatically.

She took a breath. "He said that Puck made him do it and that he didn't really want to-"

"This is horse shit!" Quinn exploded. "He's a fucking man, Rachel! If he has the cahones to propose to you then he sure as hell knows that tying a mute girl to a fucking toilet is _wrong_. No matter the excuse, Rachel, it is fundamentally _wrong_."

Brittany sat back and raised an eyebrow at her sister. Quinn had pretty much said it all.

"Rach, Quinn's right," Victoria said quietly. "No person should have to be made to go through that kind of humiliation and fear, but for them to do it to someone who can't call out for help is just…" She trailed off, shaking her head, a look of horror on her face.

"You guys have no idea how scared she was," Brittany said quietly. "I'm still kinda surprised that I managed to get her out of there."

"But you did," Quinn murmured. "You did good, B. I'm proud of you."

Brittany smiled. "Thanks, Q."

They suddenly became aware that Rachel hadn't said anything for a while. The small brunette was sitting completely still, fiddling with the bottom of her top.

"Rach?" Victoria prompted.

"Britt?" Rachel said suddenly, snapping her eyes to her sister. "Do you…could…would it help if he apologised?"

Brittany snorted. "It might, but doubt it. Besides, he's not coming within twenty feet of Santana."

"But-"

"No, Rachel. It's not happening." Her phone buzzed. She frowned at the message.

_It may not be a bad idea. Maybe it'll help with closure?_

Brittany slid her phone into her pocket and looked at the door. She saw Santana poking her head in slightly.

"Come here, beautiful," Brittany murmured.

Santana hesitantly entered and walked straight to Brittany, nervously playing with the drawstring of the hoodie she'd been given. She stepped between her legs and met her gaze.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked.

Santana nodded.

"But a public setting. He's not setting foot in this house again."

"Britt-"

"Mom, _please_ don't tell me that you'll disagree with me on that. If Santana's going to be here, there's no way he is. And even if she isn't, I don't want our home tainted with his bad judgement."

"But I don't understand _why_," Rachel murmured.

"Because Puck and Finn are bullies, Rachel," Quinn snapped. Brittany noticed she'd already finished her second drink and they hadn't even eaten. "You may think your golden boy is this shining pillar of society, but he's an asshole who bullies anyone just because. And Puck, well, he's unscrupulous."

Santana tensed in Brittany's arms at the sound of the name and the blonde placed a kiss on her neck, pulling Santana's back against her front and enveloping her arms around the Latina. She settled back, nuzzling the side of Brittany's face.

It made the blonde smile. She loved how openly affectionate Santana was with her in such a short space of time. Maybe it was a trust thing. The true test would be on Monday, but Brittany didn't want to think about having to say goodbye to the girl in her arms just yet.

"How about we set up a meeting in Will's office?" Rachel suggested.

"Oh, please," Brittany chuckled and Quinn scoffed her agreement.

"We need to take this to the board," Quinn said determinedly. "If that's ok with you, Santana," she added. "This is something that Sue should look into."

"Yes, absolutely," Brittany agreed, squeezing Santana to her. Valerie nodded her agreement.

"But…what if he gets expelled?" Rachel asked, frowning.

She was met with silence.

"I can't believe you actually asked that," Brittany muttered, gently pushing Santana forward so that she could slide off the chair. She took her love's hand. "If that's the only question that you're concerned about right now, then I'm not entirely sure who you are anymore."

She pulled Santana out of the room and headed back upstairs. She was fuming at Rachel. Her own _sister_! Had she let Finn brainwash her that much? How could she not see that what he'd done was _abominable_? And unforgiveable in her eyes. She just hoped that Rachel saw the logic at some point.

Santana tugged on her hand gently and Brittany snapped back to the present. They were standing next to her bed. How had they already got there? The Latina had already laid out the clothes they'd slept in. Brittany thought an afternoon in bed was the perfect remedy for their fucked up morning.

She grabbed the clothes and headed into the bathroom, quickly changing. She stepped out, just in time to see the tank top that Santana was wearing cover her naked back. She swallowed and dropped her clothes next to the bathroom door. She'd deal with them later. She just wanted to cuddle with her…girlfriend? Lover? Friend? She didn't even know what she and Santana were. Surely saying _I love you_ to each other counted for something, right? She definitely wanted to be Santana's girlfriend. Maybe she should come up with a plan. Or ask her on a date first. Duh!

Santana snapped her fingers. Brittany blinked and smiled at her. She was already under the covers, waiting patiently for Brittany. The blonde wasted no time in jumping onto the bed and diving head first under the covers, burrowing until she came up snuggled against Santana's side. The brunette was giggling and wrapped her arms around Brittany to bring them face-to-face.

"Hey," she whispered.

_Hi_, Santana mouthed back.

Brittany leaned in for a kiss, which soon became a few kisses. She pulled away briefly and kissed her cheek three times. "You sleepy?"

She felt Santana nod.

"Ok, baby. Cuddle time. Where do you want me?"

Santana grinned, kissed her hard and rolled over wiggling her back against Brittany so that they were spooning. It was fast becoming Brittany's favourite position for them to sleep in. She got to hold Santana close to her and make sure that she was ok, she got to breathe in the aroma that was pure Santana, and Santana always held her hand directly over her heart.

"Sweet dreams, beautiful," she whispered in Santana's ear, giving the lobe a kiss. "I love you."

Santana twisted for one last, lingering kiss before saying _I love you_ against her cheek. Brittany beamed and they settled down for an afternoon nap, even though it was barely even twelve.

As she felt Santana drift off in her arms, Brittany thought back to everything that had happened over the last forty-odd hours and how she had to count her lucky stars that she had the girl of her dreams in her arms, and she loved her.

As shitty as seeing Finn had been for Santana, she wouldn't change the way their day had gone because any small detail may have prevented them from kissing or from saying _I love you_. It had been perfect for her and she was pretty damn happy with perfect.

* * *

**A/N: So I know that this is probably not what you expected – I didn't either honestly. Lol. It just happened.**

**Slight changed of POV. It probably won't happen again, but I thought it gave us a good insight into Faberry in this fic.**

**Apologies for any mistakes. It's 4am and I'm facking tired.**

**Recommendations: **_**The Sound Of Silence**_** – MissHeatherMichelle. I have to say that when I read the summary, I was like oh noooo! Someone else came up with this idea at the same time I did, but having read it quite religiously, I've found it's very different. And really good! Also, check out **_**Agendas Unspoken**_** – K3llyS. It's a different style, but so well written. And has a great story :)**

**Would love to hear your thoughts :)**

**Also, glonner22 – I'm working on it ;)**

**Onward and up!**

**-H**

**Tumblr, Twitter, Ask – hlnwst**


	8. Addicted

**A/N: Hey, awesome people :) Thanks for sticking with me :)**

**Will go through the previous chapters as I've seen numerous errors. My bad.**

**Onward and up!**

**-H**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee :(**

* * *

**CHAPTER 8: Addicted**

Brittany was warm and the most comfortable she had been in about as long as she could remember. Even half asleep, she was fully aware that the feeling had everything to do with the girl in her arms. The girl that was snuggled close and moving around uncontrollably and-

Wait.

Brittany forced her eyes open, just in time to see Santana's bunched fist heading for her face. Completely taken by surprise, Santana hit Brittany on her cheek. It wasn't hard, but it still hurt like a bitch.

"Ow, fuck!" she moaned, rolling away and clutching her face.

_Wait. Why did Santana punch me?_

She sat up, shaking the pain from her face and saw her love curling into herself and shaking uncontrollably. Her eyes were shut tight and her breathing was quick.

_She's having a nightmare._

Brittany tentatively put a hand on Santana's shoulder, but the young girl wouldn't come out of her dreamland. She gently shook Santana, but it had no effect. She frowned. Even in sleep, Santana looked scared and Brittany needed to wake her up.

"Santana," she said in a low voice that was caked with sleep. She didn't even know what time it was.

_Irrelevant._

Brittany hovered over Santana and tried shaking her a little harder, saying her name again. No response. Santana's breathing was getting heavier, but not in a good way. Brittany froze as a small sound escaped Santana's mouth. It sounded like a whimper, but…

It was a sound. A sound made with vocal chords.

Santana suddenly started thrashing and Brittany snapped into action. She straddled her and grabbed her flying fists, calling her name urgently.

"Santana! It's Brittany, it's me! You're ok! Please just wake up. I've got you. Nothing's going to happen. You're safe."

The girl beneath her was heating up and she could see sweat forming along her forehead. Her wrists were clammy, but Brittany kept a strong hold on them.

_Maybe I'm doing this wrong. Maybe she feels trapped._

Brittany immediately jumped off Santana and released her. She sat at the end of the bed, her knees pulled up to her chest, hating how helpless she felt. If she felt trapped, Brittany couldn't hold her down to wake her up. Calling her name wasn't working; she was probably too deep in her dream to hear it. She didn't want to have Santana fight her nightmare alone, but she was at a loss.

_Maybe if she feels some kind of comfort, like knowing that I'm there with her._

Santana was tossing around, the expression on her face almost killing Brittany. She had to do something. If she fucked it up, she'd know not to do it again. She shuffled as close to Santana as she dared and when the Latina turned towards her, she wrapped an arm tightly around her waist and pulled her close. Santana's fists immediately started pushing against her chest, but Brittany held her tighter.

"Santana, it's me!" she said clearly. She moved her face closer to Santana's and whispered in her ear. "I love you. I've got you. I'll protect you."

She could have sworn that Santana seemed to still slightly before trying to fight her again, but she refused to let her go. She kept repeating the same words in her ear until Santana jerked violently in her arms and her fists unclenched.

Brittany pulled back and met Santana's terrified eyes.

"I've got you," she whispered.

Santana just dove into Brittany's neck and snuggled as close to her as she could. The dancer wrapped her arms around her and rolled onto her back so that they were once more in the position that they'd woken up that morning.

Brittany held her close and securely, humming pieces of Santana's music and softly stroking her hair. It felt almost like an hour had passed since Santana's nightmare had woken Brittany up, and she was well aware of the pool of tears that had flowed from the girl in her arms, but she didn't say anything.

When Santana's breathing had evened out a little, Brittany stopped her humming.

"How about I run you a nice hot bath?" she suggested quietly.

She smiled when she felt a nod in her neck.

"Ok. Come with me?"

They slipped out of bed together, Santana staying close to Brittany's side. The blonde turned on her bathroom light and headed straight for her big tub. She managed to get Santana to sit on the toilet while she ran the water and got out some bubble bath and other relaxing oils.

"Should I bring you a change of clothes?" she asked softly, glancing at the girl who was still shaking slightly.

Santana lifted her head and their eyes met. Brittany swallowed. She wanted more than anything to take away the perpetual pain that she saw in the mysterious eyes that had her hypnotised. She knew that Santana trusted her and she knew that with time, she might be able to accomplish that.

She just hated that it was going to take time. She hated that the girl she loved was hurting, was scared, and was in pain. It felt like she experienced those things too.

She broke their gaze and quickly shut off the water. She shuffled across the small distance between them and knelt in front of Santana.

"I want to make it better for you, but I don't know what you want me to do," she whispered, resting her hands on Santana's thighs. "I'll do anything you want me to. Even if that anything is nothing at all."

Santana looked at her for a while, her eyes travelling all over Brittany's face, but always returning back to her blue orbs. Brittany waited, as she always would with Santana. The young girl's next action surprised the hell out of her. She never, ever, in a million years, expected her to pull back slightly and yank her tank top over her head.

Brittany kept her eyes on Santana's, desperately resisting the urge to let them travel down to the newly exposed skin. To her credit, Santana didn't flinch. Brittany tried to read any kind of emotion in her eyes, but she couldn't find _anything_.

It scared the shit out of her. How was Santana able to be so detached about undressing in front of her? Or did it not mean anything? She breathed out quickly. That would suck, because this meant _everything_ to her.

Santana's hands went to the bottom of Brittany's tank top and she pulled it up. The blonde didn't resist and lifted her arms so that it could be removed more easily. Santana's eyes didn't drift downwards either. Brittany's heart was pounding. She didn't really know what to expect with Santana's actions. Did she want to bath together? Did she want more? Would Brittany be able to deny her? She knew that she didn't want their first time together to be as a comfort after a nightmare. She was willing to do anything to make Santana feel better, but would having sex really accomplish that? She almost felt like it would cheapen what she anticipated to be a completely beautiful experience.

But would divulging that scare Santana off?

Santana took Brittany's hands and they stood up together.

"San, are you…" Brittany couldn't even finish her question as Santana dropped her hands and instead rested them on the band of Brittany's sweatpants.

_Holy shit._

"Wait," Brittany breathed as Santana's fingers started pulling them down.

Santana looked up at her, that look of confused hurt clouding her vision again.

_Fuck._

"You know that I'm not going anywhere, right?" Brittany said quickly, shuffling a step closer and cupping Santana's face. "Nothing that you say or do will make me love you any less. I couldn't love you any less than I do. It only grows."

Santana just stared at her. Brittany could feel her fingers nervously fiddling with the band of her sweatpants.

"I will do whatever you need me to do, but I just want you to be sure if it's what you want too."

Instead of answering, Santana wrapped her arms around Brittany's waist and pulled her into an embrace. The dancer gasped as the feeling of their naked chests meeting for the first time, but when Santana rested her head on her shoulder, she let her arms wrap around her waist too, savouring the soft skin underneath her fingertips.

"You are so beautiful," she whispered, placing a soft kiss to Santana's shoulder.

Santana snuggled into her neck and kissed the underside of Brittany's jaw.

"I got you," she whispered. "I'm never letting you go."

They stood in their embrace for a few more moments before Santana pulled back slightly. She met Brittany's eyes and the blonde was exceptionally happy to see a familiar warmth in those dark depths.

_Hi_, she mouthed.

Santana gave her a small smile and leaned up to kiss her, running her hands up Brittany's naked back and embedding them in her hair. Almost immediately, Santana intensified the kiss. It took Brittany by surprise, but she was complete putty in her love's arms so she just reciprocated. She pulled Santana closer to her and rested her hands against the flat of the Latina's smooth back. Their tongues met and Brittany groaned in pleasure. Their kisses, although relatively soft, were fuelled with passion and desire. It was making her head spin in the most deliciously uncontrollable way.

_Wait, control. Shit, I need to keep control._

Brittany tried to slow their kisses, but Santana always managed to draw her in again, making her head swim. She was addicted to Santana Lopez and she was pretty sure there wasn't any kind of rehab.

Not that she'd go.

Santana stepped them backwards until Brittany's back hit her bathroom door. God, the feeling of Santana's body pressed up against her was maddeningly amazing. She was getting very close to that point of no return and almost like Santana had read her mind, their kisses started getting more gentle until they were soft pecks against cheeks.

Brittany rested her forehead against Santana's as they got their breath back.

"Wow," the blonde breathed out.

Santana nodded subtly and pulled back to look at her questioningly. She tilted her head to the bath. Brittany smiled and nodded. Santana took her hand and they walked across the bathroom.

"I'm going to put more water in," Brittany said, kneeling next to the bath. "It's a little cold now."

Santana smiled and nodded, her eyes flickering over Brittany's back. The blonde felt her entire body ignite at the gaze.

_Christ. And you want to take a bath together? You do realise that means you're both going to be naked, right?_

Once the water was back to comfort temperature, Brittany stood up. There was a little distance between her and Santana and dark eyes dropped down to take in her body. Brittany took a breath before allowing herself to do the same.

It was actually quite staggering how perfect Santana's body was. Her stomach was toned and even though her curves weren't all that apparent, they were there and suited her so well. And then… Her breasts were possibly the most perfect creations on the planet. They were definitely bigger than Brittany's, as she'd expected, but they were just…perfect.

Santana smiled and hooked her fingers into her sweatpants, bending slightly as she pushed them down her legs.

_Holy fuck. Oh, shit. I'm about to die and go to happy Santana heaven._

Her legs were glorious. She was wearing red underwear with little black musical notes and it made Brittany smile affectionately. She stood up and shyly met Brittany's eyes.

_Right! My turn._

Brittany had realised that it wasn't about sex, and that it actually never had been. It was about opening themselves to each other. Baring their souls in a physical way.

She pulled her pants down, stepping out of them ungracefully. Santana's gaze on her body was incredibly distracting. Even though the look in those dark eyes was purely appreciative and maybe a little lusty, it still made Brittany feel like she was completely naked. Well, she pretty much was.

They stood in front of each, eyes roaming and meeting again. They exchanged shy smiles. Brittany felt that Santana had already been so brave, and it was time that she put herself out there the way that her love had. She quickly dropped her underwear and took a breath. Santana's mouth dropped open a little and she swallowed. Brittany blushed. She liked to keep herself very tidy, so there was only a very thin strip of hair. Everything else was cleanly shaven. She wasn't hiding anything.

Brittany leaned forward and took Santana's hand, leading her to the bath. She stepped in, her body quickly adjusting to the temperature and sat down. She smiled encouragingly up at Santana, who was looking nervous.

"You don't have to, San," she said gently. "No pressure."

Santana got a determined look in her eyes and Brittany just lifted her eyebrows as the younger girl pulled down her cute underwear. As much as she wanted to look, Brittany smiled at Santana and kept her eyes on her face. She held out a hand and Santana took it, stepping into the tub. She sat down with her back to Brittany, scooting back against her. Brittany let her thighs secure Santana, her hands safely on the edges of the tub. She knew that they'd wonder if they were allowed to explore Santana's skin. She was determined not to ruin their perfect moment.

"You ok?" Brittany whispered, nuzzling her nose against Santana's ear.

The Latina, who had been a little tense, relaxed against Brittany and the blonde smiled at the feeling of Santana's back pressed against her front. It just felt so natural and perfect.

"Thank you for this, Santana. It's amazing."

Santana leaned her head on Brittany's shoulder and turned her head for a kiss which Brittany happily obliged to. Santana found her hands and took them underwater, placing them on her stomach. Her fingers immediately splayed across the taut muscles as they continued to kiss. It was lazy and sensual and wonderful. After a few perfect kissing sessions, Brittany offered to give Santana a light massage. She was pretty sure that her love had accumulated a serious amount of tension over the last two days. And who the hell could blame her.

Brittany's hands left Santana's stomach, but not before trailing her fingers up her sides and barely missing her breasts. She felt Santana take a sharp breath and smiled. It still astounded her that everything that she was feeling, Santana was too. It was too good to be true. She'd found her perfect match and, by some miracle, her perfect match, her soul mate, loved her back.

_I'm the luckiest girl in the world_.

She pressed a kiss to Santana's head and twisted around so that she could grab some oils from the counter behind her.

"Could you scoot a little forward, baby?" Brittany asked softly.

Santana turned her head and kissed her suddenly. It caught Brittany by surprise.

"What was that for?" she asked dazedly when the younger girl had broken away.

Santana grinned and ran her finger across Brittany's lips. She made the motion of carrying a baby and the dancer understood. She looked down bashfully.

"Is that ok?"

She got a furious nod.

"Great," she breathed. She squirted some oil into her hands and started on Santana's neck. The Latina's muscles gradually relaxed beneath her careful movements and it made Brittany smile. Again. She felt like she was in a perpetual state of smiling with Santana. And hell, she didn't actually give a fuck because it felt awesome. After ten minutes of light massaging, Brittany bit her lip and dipped her hands under the water and started rubbing harder circles into Santana's lower back. She saw how the Latina sat that she carried a lot of tension in her lower back.

Santana dropped her head back onto Brittany's shoulder and the blonde's eyes widened. From her vantage point, she had a torturous view of Santana's breasts that were covered with suds and water. She swallowed.

_Holy Jesus. I'm in love with the sexiest girl in the entire fucking world._

Brittany shut her eyes and started kissing Santana's neck and shoulder softly as she continued her lower back massage. When she was done, she wrapped her arms around Santana's stomach and pulled her back into her, burying her face into dark locks. Santana chuckled and just rested her hands on top of Brittany's as they got comfortable again.

"I could stay like this forever," Brittany mused, her eyes fluttering closed in pleasurable comfort as Santana dragged her nails up and down Brittany arms that were still snug around her.

With her left index finger, Santana traced something on Brittany's forearm. The blonde smiled and concentrated. Another way for her to communicate with Santana.

_Me too._

Brittany hummed and kissed her cheek. The silence between them was comfortable. In the back of Brittany's mind, she wanted to ask Santana what her nightmare was about and why it had affected her so badly, but she didn't want to take two steps back after this amazing experience. She didn't want to taint it. Santana had said that she would tell her. She'd asked her to wait. And Brittany had said that she would. Which meant that she'd wait forever if she had to.

She felt Santana shiver after a while and took the hint.

"Would you like a shower?" she asked.

Santana nodded and they slowly manoeuvred out of the tub and towards the shower. Brittany turned it on and held the door open for Santana to step in.

"I'll just-" Brittany was cut off by Santana grabbing her hand to stop her from leaving. She looked at her shyly. The blonde grinned. 'Yeah?"

Santana nodded and Brittany stepped into the shower, pulling the door closed behind her. Their bodies were pressed up against each other and, even though it felt completely amazing, Brittany didn't feel the need to push Santana up against the wall and make crazy love to her.

Although, sure. Hello, that would be awesome. But she was also perfectly comfortable standing under a hot spray with the love of her life in her arms. Even though their wet skin was pressing against each other, Brittany just smiled, leaned down and gave Santana three kisses on her cheek. The skin was hot when she pulled back after her third kiss and it had nothing to do with the water temperature.

"So beautiful," she whispered, water dripping down their faces.

Santana cupped her cheek and met her lips for a sweet kiss that turned into a few sweet kisses.

_Sweet lady kisses._

Santana truly defined that term. All of her kisses were sweet. They were also gentle and passionate and knee-crumbling and breathtaking, but underneath all that, they were sweet. Brittany took her shampoo and gestured to Santana to turn around. She set about washing her thick hair, treating the girl in her arms like the most precious treasure in the world.

Which she was.

Once both their hair had been washed, Brittany shut off the water and opened the shower door, stepping out first and holding out a hand for Santana to take. She did and it made the blonde smile. Again.

Oh, it was hopeless denying it.

Brittany grabbed fluffy towels for them and delighted in how they kept sneaking glances at each other while they dried off. Santana tucked her towel around her body and walked to the door, waiting for Brittany. The dancer could feel her body heating up under Santana's lustful scrutiny and she sent her a wink. Safely covered with a towel, she took her love's hand and they headed back into the bedroom. Brittany turned on her bedside lamp and checked her phone for the time. They'd slept for most of the afternoon.

"It's six," she told Santana. "Should we see what's cooking?"

Santana nodded and met Brittany's smile. The blonde couldn't resist leaning in and kissing her. She loved that she was able to do that.

_To think, twenty-four hours ago, you were wishing you could do that very thing._

Brittany walked over to her wardrobe and fished out two clean tank tops and sweatpants. Luckily, as a dancer, she had plenty. Santana opened her underwear and began fishing. She smirked and held up a lacy red thong.

Brittany flushed and grabbed it. "Shut up," she grumbled.

Santana laughed and found two more suitable boy shorts for them to wear. Brittany's mouth dropped as soon as her towel did. She hadn't expected Santana to be that comfortable outside of the bathroom, but _wow_, was she glad. Her eyes started at tanned feet and travelled upwards, taking in smooth legs, that _ass_, perfect hips, her very generous breasts and finally, her beautiful and flawless face.

"Wow," Brittany breathed before clamping a hand over her mouth.

Santana sent her a smile and continued dressing. It took the dancer a moment to realise that she should be probably be doing the same thing. While the younger girl checked her phone, responding to a message most likely from Shelby or Holly, Brittany dressed and grabbed their discarded clothes, stuffing them into her laundry basket. She'd probably have to do a load the next day if Santana was going to be going home.

Her face must have turned sad at the thought because Santana was in front of her with a concerned look on her face.

"It's nothing," Brittany tried to brush off, but Santana already knew her a little too well. She held her hands and kept her close. The dancer sighed. "I just realised that I'm going to have to do laundry for you tomorrow because you're going to be going home," she mumbled.

Santana sighed as well and pulled Brittany to her for a hug. They both knew that reality was around the corner. They'd had a taste of it that morning and Brittany wanted nothing more than to stay holed up in her bedroom. After all, the most wonderful things had happened with Santana in her room. Who'd want to leave? Who'd want to go back into a world where insensitive assholes did abhorrent things to girls who couldn't defend themselves?

Not that Santana couldn't defend herself, but it was a little more challenging because she was unable to speak. Brittany pulled out of the hug and gave her an Eskimo kiss. Santana smiled and scrunched up her nose adorably.

"My stomach's about to eat me from the inside, so should we go?"

Santana nodded, quickly clambering onto the bed and grabbing Brittany's hoodie. The blonde smiled as her love pulled it on and it grew wider when she snuggled into it.

_God, this girl is so perfect, it's almost impossible. Almost._

Brittany held out a hand and Santana linked their fingers together. Their descent to the ground floor was slow, both girls happy to just take their time, savouring every moment with each other.

"Well, look who's actually still alive!" Quinn called with a grin when they entered the kitchen.

"Hey," Brittany greeted in confusion. "You're still here?"

"Yup. Momsy here felt in dire need of my entertainment skills. I couldn't _but_ oblige."

Brittany raised an eyebrow and glanced at her mother who just rolled her eyes.

"And how much have you had to drink, Quinn?"

Quinn looked up at the ceiling as she contemplated the question. "Lots," she eventually stated. "Your dad's beating me at poker, though."

"We're playing blackjack," Chris Pierce said with a smirk, standing next to his wife and trying to sample whatever she was making. He earned himself a smart slap on his hand and pouted exactly like his daughter.

Brittany grinned. Her parents were totally cute. "Mom, Dad, I'd like to officially meet someone." She stepped forward, coaxing Santana with her, who suddenly looked very shy and nervous. "Don't worry, baby. They raised me, remember?" she whispered so that only Santana could hear her.

She received a thankful smile in return. "Mom, Dad, this is Santana Lopez."

Santana stepped forward and so did Victoria. Brittany's mom shook her outstretched hand with a big smile. "I'm Victoria Pierce. I've heard a lot about you, Santana. It's great to finally meet you."

The Latina nodded and said _thank you_ in sign language. Victoria beamed. "And this is Chris, my other half and the one responsible for all the crazy in that one over there."

"Hey!" Brittany protested good-naturedly. "I'll have you know my crazy is totally on the DL. Santana doesn't even know about my sock fetish."

She sent a wink to an alarmed Santana, who immediately relaxed and rolled her eyes with a smile.

"Santana Lopez!" Chris said enthusiastically. "Welcome to the family!"

Brittany smiled. That was definitely something she could see happening. When Santana met her eyes, she could swear that she was thinking the same thing.

* * *

"Santana, you go to McKinley with Britt and Quinn?" Chris asked.

She nodded, her mouth full of vegetables.

"She's like this musical genius," Quinn stated enthusiastically and Brittany smiled, settling back to watch her drunk best friend gush about her girlfriend. Oh…she needed to do something about that.

Quinn continued, "She makes music! Like, on the piano and triangle and oboe and-"

"Not the oboe," Brittany interrupted with a snort.

"She probably could," Quinn argued with a hazy glare.

Brittany nodded in agreement and squeezed Santana's hand. It hadn't left hers since they'd left the bedroom.

"Anyway, so she's totally brilliant and Brittany can only dance to her music now cos no one else's works and it's totally cute cos they're like yin and yang, but like, not Chinese or whatever. Mike's Chinese. Maybe he's yin. So who's yang?"

"I think that's enough for you, Quinn," Victoria said, grabbing Quinn's glass. "You're staying in the den tonight."

Brittany rolled her eyes. "To add to what the ever-eloquent Quinn said, Santana is a very talented composer and musician." She glanced sideways and sent her a proud smile. "She has a near photographic memory when it comes to reading music and hearing music."

"That's impressive," Victoria said. "Do you have any plans for when you graduate?"

Santana shrugged.

"She's only a junior," Brittany supplied. "So she's got time."

"And you, Britty? How'd the re-eval go?" Chris asked.

Brittany bit her lip. "Actually, I didn't make it."

Her dad got a look of recognition in his eyes and nodded. "Gotcha."

"It's ok, though. I'm happy to take the initial grade. I'll just blow them away with my winter showcase."

"Any idea what you're gonna do?" Victoria asked.

Brittany looked at Santana and smiled. "Yeah, I've got a pretty good idea."

She received a smile in return and it only made hers wider

"I wanna see what you were gonna do at the re-eval!" Quinn pouted. "You got me all excited about it and then you didn't do it."

"Oh, yes, I would love to see you dance, Britty," Chris agreed with a grin that mirrored his daughter's. "I haven't seen you really dance since May."

"Well, that depends on whether my maestri would accompany me," Brittany said, quirking a questioning brow at Santana, who nodded easily.

"Smashing. We'll head into the ballroom once dinner is finished," Victoria confirmed.

_Ballroom?_ Santana mouthed.

Brittany giggled and kissed the back of her hand. "We're extravagant, darling."

She just got an eye roll in return. Dinner was quickly finished up and Brittany couldn't help feeling excited as she led Santana towards the ballroom. She was pretty sure that the younger girl was going to love the grand piano. She grinned when she heard a sharp intake of breath next to her.

The ballroom was massive. Brittany and Victoria had worked tirelessly to make it very special and it had housed many impromptu performances by Brittany and Rachel over the years.

Santana dropped her hand and almost ran to the piano. The dancer just smiled and watched as she inspected every inch of the large grand piano in the far corner. When she returned to Brittany, her happiness was evident and the blonde was glad that she was the cause.

There was a flurry of hand movements that Brittany somehow understood and Santana was gone.

"Where'd she go?" Quinn mumbled, heading for one of the chairs next to the piano.

"To get her music," Brittany replied, doing a few pirouettes and starting a brief warm up.

Within two minutes, Santana was back, looking adorably flushed from what Brittany was sure had been a sprint up to her room and back. Her excitement was palpable. What musician didn't dream of playing a grand piano in a frigging ballroom? Never mind one in her…friend's house?

_Ugh. Definitely need to do something about that_, she told herself.

Santana handed her the USB and Brittany turned to the stereo and plugged it in. She pushed a few buttons and the sound of violins echoes around the large room. She fiddled with the volume to what she knew Santana would like it to be. Regardless, she inclined her head to the younger girl and they worked the volume until Santana was happy. When Brittany stepped back to the middle of the room, she saw her mom looking at her with a proud smile. She ducked her head, blushing. Victoria knew Brittany the best, after Quinn and Rachel. Not that she felt her sister knew her very well anymore. She sure as hell didn't feel like she knew Rachel. Not the engaged Rachel, anyway.

And Santana was rapidly creeping into that elite group of people who knew Brittany, the real Brittany. Not the superstar at McKinley that just happened to be a really awesome person. Santana knew about her insecurities, about her fierce loyalty, about her determination and her unwavering belief in doing what was right. A small hand on her arm brought her back to the present and she met the dark eyes that made her world make that much more sense. Everything was right with Santana.

_Ready?_ Santana mouthed.

Brittany smiled and nodded. She watched her love walk back to the piano and pick up a remote – of course she would have figured how to operate the stereo. For a brief moment, Brittany wondered if Santana would ever venture into producing.

"Go, Britt!" Quinn hollered and the dancer winced at the excessive volume.

"Calm down, Quinn," Victoria said sternly.

Brittany giggled at her best friend's stubborn pout. She met Santana's eyes and moved into her starting position. They'd rehearsed enough times to develop an understanding that Brittany would always wait for the music. As soon as it started, she launched wholeheartedly into the routine. She let Santana's music (ok, not technically _her_ music) wash over her, through her, around her and her body just moved. During one of her spins, she saw Santana watching her, a dreamy smile on her face. Brittany grinned and put everything she had into her performance.

It was for Santana. It would always be for Santana.

The musician finished the piece with finesse, the violins fitting in perfectly. Brittany immediately looked at her, breathing hard and grinning.

"Britt! That was amazing!" Victoria gushed, walking across the floor and embracing her.

"Thanks."

"Did Mike come up with that routine?" Chris asked.

Brittany shrugged, subtly extending her hand to encourage Santana to join them. "Sort of. Mostly, I guess. I actually came up with a lot of the transitions once I'd danced with Santana on Thursday."

She felt warm all over when she felt familiar fingers slide between her own.

"That was wonderful, honey," Victoria said proudly. "And Santana! Wow. Brittany has bragged about your talents, but you exceeded any expectation that I had! I've never heard someone play so beautifully and effortlessly."

Brittany turned to the younger girl and smiled big at how shy she was acting. It was too fucking adorable for words.

"San, how about you play one of your pieces?" she suggested softly.

Santana met her eyes questioningly.

"Oh, yes! I would love to hear something you composed," Victoria agreed, clapping her hands together. "Please?"

Santana smiled and nodded. Brittany followed her back to the piano and sat down next to her. She just watched Santana's fingers fly over the keys like they were simply extensions of the piano. Seeing her love play from this angle was a different experience. She still felt the incredible urge to get up and move along with the music, but watching Santana _create_ the music was something so powerful that she couldn't even put it into words.

Brittany watched her entire body as Santana played. She was more relaxed than Brittany had ever seen her. She had a content smile on her face and her eyes glanced down at her hands every now and then, but for the most part, they were closed. She could almost liken the way Santana's body moved as she played to how Brittany danced. It was like this was Santana's own dance. And it was mesmerising. Did she look this peaceful and happy when she danced? Did she look anything like that before? How did she look when she danced to Santana's music?

Santana let her fingers rest on the keys until the echo of the music faded. Everyone clapped enthusiastically, but Brittany just leaned in and kissed her cheek three times. Somehow, over the course of their day together, those three kisses had taken on a meaning of their own.

_I love you_.

Brittany didn't mind finding seventy-two thousand different ways to tell Santana that she loved her because the number of ways that she _did_ love her was uncountable. Number one, top of the list, would always be her everlasting desire for the younger girl. Even when she wasn't a young girl anymore, Brittany was one hundred percent sure that she would still want Santana. She'd want to be near her, hold her hand, kiss her, take baths with her, make love to her…

The blonde flushed and quickly looked down. As much as she wanted Santana, and as much as she wanted to feel that level of intimacy with her, she was more than willing to wait. Already, in forty-eight hours, their relationship had exploded and quickly escalated to something that Brittany had never even imagined she'd be lucky enough to experience. And she knew that Santana felt the same way.

"Britt?"

"Hmmm?"

"We're heading into the den for a drink. Do you want to join us?"

Brittany met Santana's eyes with a question, but the dark eyes that locked onto hers told her a myriad of things. Number one was that Santana wanted some alone time. And Brittany was only too happy to agree to.

"Um, actually, I think we're going to head upstairs. Thanks though, Dad." She stood up and took Santana's hand to guide her from the piano chair.

"Thank you for playing, Santana," Victoria said with a smile. "You are truly so talented and I have no doubt that you are going to make a serious mark on music in the future."

Santana flushed, smiled and ducked her head. She signed her thanks and Victoria nodded.

"Chris, would you mind helping Boozy there?" Brittany's mom requested with a sigh.

Brittany squeezed Santana's hand, causing the Latina to look at her. They communicated with their eyes and Santana eventually nodded.

"I won't be long," Brittany whispered in her ear before kissing her cheek and heading to the couch where her best friend was passed out.

"Don't worry, Daddy. I got her."

"Sure?"

"Yup. I've had practice."

"I find myself worried by that statement," Victoria said with a raised brow.

Brittany hooked Quinn's arm around her neck and heaved her off the couch. A deadweight Quinn was never easy, but Brittany had had lots of practice. She realised that the revelation about Finn's role in Santana's attack and Rachel's reaction to it had obviously shaken Quinn. She usually drank a bit, but never so much that she'd pass out before nine on a Saturday night. As she carried her unconscious friend through the house to the den, she wondered if she'd been a bad friend by ignoring Quinn's distress to stay with Santana. How did one choose between her best friend and her soul mate when both were hurting?

Brittany was well aware that her world had become all about Santana very quickly and her best friend hadn't really even known about the developments until she'd seen them that morning. She didn't want to forget Quinn or shut her out, but Santana was completely encompassing. She was all she thought about and dreamt about. She missed her when she wasn't holding her hand. She felt happiest when Santana was in her arms, even if it was just them cuddling or sleeping or making out. She felt like she could stay there forever.

Was she a bad friend for ignoring Quinn when her best friend needed her? She entered the den and headed for the monster couch at the back of the room. It could comfortably fit two people laying next to each other. She carefully dropped Quinn onto the soft material and grabbed a pillow and blanket from the cabinet next to the couch. It was definitely not the first time that they'd slept on the couch. In fact, Brittany was fairly certain that she and Quinn had done more than sleep on that couch.

_Hold up, Blondie. What the fuck?_

Brittany shook herself. What the fuck indeed. Any past indiscretions were exactly that – in the past. She only had one person in her vision for her future; one person that she would give herself to completely for the rest of her life.

As she tucked her best friend in, she briefly wondered how the Brittany of three months ago would react to her complete devotion to one girl. Would she scoff at her? Would she play it off as a passing fantasy?

_No, because even if the Brittany of three months ago had met Santana, she would have fallen in love just as quickly._

Brittany smiled and nodded to herself, fully agreeing with her conscience. There was no way in any life, in any reality, that she _wouldn't_ fall hopelessly and completely in love with Santana Lopez.

She found herself totally accepting of that fact.

Brittany knelt down next to the couch and tucked stray pieces of pink hair behind Quinn's ear. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you today, Quinnie. I know that my life has pretty much become about Santana and I know that hurts you because you had that with Rachel, but part of me isn't sorry. I know that makes me sound like a bitch, but I can't be without her. You'll always be my best friend. We've been through way too much to not find a way to find a way around this, ok? I want you to know that I will find a way to be there for you and still be with Santana. I need both of you in my life." She leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Love you, Q."

She watched her for a few more moments before standing up and turning around. Santana was standing a few feet away, looking uncomfortable.

"Hey," Brittany said with a smile, walking up to the love of her life and slipping her arms around Santana's slim waist. "You ok?"

Santana rested her hands on Brittany's forearms and met her eyes uncertainly. The blonde frowned. She didn't want Santana to ever be uncertain.

"What is it?" she urged. "Please tell me."

Santana took a breath and lifted her hands, but their moment was interrupted by Victoria and Chris entering the den, talking quietly.

Brittany dropped her arms, but immediately found Santana's hand. "Night, guys," she said, heading out of the den. "I'm pretty sure Quinn will be out until morning."

Victoria nodded. "Sleep tight, Britt. And you too, Santana."

Brittany smiled and kissed her mom's cheek, doing the same to her dad. "Love you."

"Love you!" her parents chorused as the young lovers exited the room.

Nothing else was said until they reached Brittany's bedroom. Then, out of nowhere, Santana pounced on the blonde, kissing her feverishly. Brittany held her tightly and responded, their lips and tongues working together effortlessly to create the most pleasure that Brittany had pretty much ever experienced from a kiss.

But this felt like so much more than a kiss. Or several kisses. Whatever. It felt like Santana was trying to coax something out of her. Like she was trying to prove something. Brittany found herself falling onto her bed, her arms still full of Santana kissing the crap out of her. A moan rumbled in her throat uncontrollably. She couldn't stop everything she was feeling, which was even more amplified because Santana was kissing her. And kissing her like her life depended on it. The intensity of the kisses weren't surprising to Brittany – everything about their relationship had been intense thus far, but it felt like this was something more.

Brittany broke away purely to gasp for air. Santana had quickly become an expert in stealing every last breath she possessed. The Latina moved her lips across Brittany's cheek to her ear, tugging slightly on the lobe, eliciting a strangled moan from the blonde beneath her. Brittany's hands disappeared under Santana's hoodie and shirt, her short nails digging into the soft skin of her love's back.

Santana's lips continued her trail of hot, wet kisses down Brittany's neck, settling into the crook she loved so much and sucking hard.

"Oh, fuck!" Brittany moaned, her hips involuntarily canting upwards.

She could feel Santana's hand moving down her body and slipping underneath her shirt.

_Oh my God_.

Santana ran her hand across Brittany's stomach, letting it drift higher and higher. With some kind of higher power, Brittany managed to remove her hand from Santana's back and grab the Latina's wandering hand just before it reached her breast.

"Fuck," she breathed, closing her eyes.

She opened them when she felt Santana's lips leave her skin. There was that look of uncertainty again. Brittany frowned and sat them up gently. "What is it, baby?"

Santana dropped her gaze and her brow furrowed. Brittany tipped her chin up.

"I know someone's churning in that head of yours. Please talk to me."

The Latina sighed and rolled away, grabbing her phone from the nightstand. Brittany bit down her frustration at not being able to effectively communicate with Santana. She was a little gladdened when Santana rolled back into her arms and started typing quickly.

_Those fingers…_

Brittany shivered at the rogue thought and bit her lip. She would wait, but _damn_ she knew it would be worth it. Santana turned her phone to Brittany once she'd done typing.

_I heard what you said to Quinn. I know that you two have history and I know she's important to you. I guess I'm a little scared – ok, a LOT scared – that you're going to realise how difficult it is to be with me and just go back to her._

Brittany blinked in surprise. How could Santana possibly think that she would choose Quinn? She knew that the younger girl had her insecurities, but hadn't she done everything in her power to convince her that there was no one but her? Not ever?

Obviously not.

The blonde sighed and tossed the phone to one side, pulling Santana into her lap so that she was straddling her. A memory of that morning flashed through her mind as Santana's hands nervously came to rest on her shoulders.

"Santana, I'm sorry if I made you feel insecure about my relationship with Quinn. Please know that whatever messed up _thing_ the two of us had is long over. It has been for a while. But it was never serious. It couldn't hold a candle to anything that I feel when I'm with you. Nothing and no one compares to you. And nothing or no one ever will. I told you earlier – you're _it_. I do love Quinn. She's my best friend. But I love her the same way I love my parents, the same way you love Shelby and Holly. I'm not in love with her." Brittany pulled her closer so that their chests were pressed tightly together. She could feel Santana's short breaths across her lips and it made her stomach clench in want. "I am, however, completely in love with you, Santana. I'm in love with you and only you. Forever. And nothing or no one can ever change that."

Santana's eyes flicked over her face and Brittany waited for a response. She let her hands slip under the hoodie and shirt that Santana was wearing and slowly trace the soft skin of her back. She made intricate patterns with her fingers while smiling softly at her love. She watched Santana swallow before leaning closer and kissing Brittany softly. The blonde reciprocated just as gently. The younger girl pulled away abruptly and bit her lip. Brittany just raised an eyebrow in curious question.

Santana pointed to herself and Brittany nodded. She dropped both hands and made a motion like she was pulling something towards her stomach. Brittany frowned in confusion, but Santana pointed to her.

_I…something…you?_

The Latina did it again and Brittany racked her brain to try and figure out what Santana could mean. Finally, after about the fifth try, Santana subtly rolled her hips against Brittany's as she signed the middle word. The blonde's eyes widened in realisation.

_I want you._

She let a breath that she hadn't even realised she'd been holding. "Um…" she whispered. "I…I want you too, Santana. I do. So much. But I want us to be sure of what we're doing." She dug her fingers into Santana's back a little. "I mean, I know what we're doing, but I don't want us to rush." She met her eyes. "We have all the time in the world."

Santana nodded and leaned in for a kiss that turned heated in a matter of seconds. The Latina gripped Brittany's shirt and pulled her closer. She purposefully fell back onto the bed so that Brittany could be on top of her. The blonde groaned in pleasure. They were horizontal and she was pressed up against Santana in _all_ the good ways. She never wanted to stop kissing the girl beneath her. It was addictive. This time, when Santana's hand disappeared underneath her shirt, she didn't stop the younger girl's explorations. She could feel a slight shake in the fingers that travelled over her skin, but she simply encouraged Santana with a smiling kiss.

Brittany broke away and groaned when she felt Santana rake her nails down her back.

_Shit. I don't know what kind of history she has with girls, but God, she's doing everything right._

She made the sound again when Santana repeated the motion, obviously enjoying the response she was getting. Before she could stop herself, Brittany arched her back and ground her hips into Santana's. It felt blissful. The girl beneath her froze and Brittany quickly pushed herself up and off Santana's body, worried that she had pushed things a little too far. She swallowed at the sight of a heavy-breathing Santana beneath her. Her hair was played out and her lips were swollen. And – _oh, God_ – she was biting down on that sexy bottom lip. Brittany felt that pull in her gut again and she closed her eyes, trying to will her arousal away.

Santana apparently had different ideas. She left one hand roaming Brittany's back and the other slipped out and settled itself quite comfortably on her ass. She applied a slight pressure down, causing Brittany's eyes to widen and meet decidedly dark ones looking up at her.

_Fuck._

"S-San," Brittany stuttered, hating that a small movement from the girl she loved could make her hips rock again of their own accord. "Oh, God. San, if you carry on doing that, I'm not…I won't be able to…" Her voice trailed off and Santana took the opportunity to lean up and catch Brittany's lip in another kiss.

Within seconds, they were pressed tightly against each other again, Santana making sure that Brittany's core was snug against her thigh.

_Jesus, how does she know this stuff?_

As they kissed, Santana encouraged Brittany to rock against her, but the blonde did all that could to stop herself. She loved Santana so much and wanted so badly to give into her desire, but some logical part of her brain was continuously yelling at her to slow things down. Things had already progressed so quickly between them and she didn't want to ruin something that should be so incredibly special.

_Fuck_.

But Santana wasn't making this easy. She continued rocking her hips up into Brittany, causing her thigh to rub against that spot where the blonde was aching for relief. The worst part? She was so embarrassingly close. Already. She had no doubt that it had everything to do with the girl beneath her, but she didn't want to be the only one experiencing pleasure. She wanted to please Santana. She wanted to see that beautiful face contort as she came.

_Oh, shit. Oh, fuck._

That was obviously not the best thing to think about as Santana pushed Brittany hard against her, flicking her tongue against hers in the most delicious way, because it threw the blonde over the edge. She came suddenly and she came hard.

"Santana," she half-whispered, half-moaned, burying her face against her shoulder and her body shook with the force of her orgasm.

_Well done, Pierce. Couldn't keep it in your pants for five minutes. I'm sure that she's super impressed with your prowess now._

Shit. What had she done? She couldn't even remember the last time she'd come – let alone come so fucking hard – from _just_ grinding.

"I'm sorry," she whispered into Santana's neck. "I didn't…it just happened."

She felt sporadic twitches as she tried to control her breathing. It wasn't really easy when Santana's hands were still roaming across her back and ass.

_Shit. Now what? Do I return the favour? How? Do we just grind? Should I undress her? Go down on her?_

She shivered at the thought of going down on Santana. She was pretty sure that it would be the most awesome thing ever.

Santana was trying to wriggle away.

_There you go. You scared her. Bravo._

She'd never blown her load, so speak, so quickly before. She was known – well known – for her stamina. And she could normally go for hours.

_Well, maybe that's because Santana could probably make you come if she looked at you with those sexy as fuck bedroom eyes._

Brittany had to concede the possibility. She had no doubt that Santana could, and probably would, elicit reactions from her body that she had no preparation for or control over. She slid off Santana, hiding her face in the sheets in shame. She'd never felt more embarrassed in her life.

She expected Santana to get off the bed or something. She didn't expect her to drape herself across Brittany's back and give her soft kisses across her shirt-clad back.

She slowly turned and Santana lifted her body, settling back down on Brittany's chest once they could see each other. Nervously, the blonde met dark eyes that were still darker than usual, if that were possible. But to her surprise, Santana wore a contented smile.

"Um…"

Santana lifted a hand and traced Brittany's face tenderly. It rendered her speechless. Hesitantly, Brittany put one hand on Santana's hip and traced her love's face with the other in turn. They spent a few minutes just looking at each other, Santana's eyes filled with nothing but love and affection. Brittany felt kind of silly for freaking out. But it was a little weird, right? She'd been grinding against her girlfriend or whatever – _seriously need to rectify that_ – and come harder than she could actually ever remember.

_You ok?_ Santana mouthed.

Brittany let out a scoffed laugh and shut her eyes. "Honestly? Physically, I feel amazing because…wow. But…I mean, I wanted to wait a little longer and now I don't know if I should ask you if you want me to do the same to you. Even though I would absolutely in a heartbeat, I don't want to pressure you because this is a really big deal and-"

Santana cut her off with a kiss. Brittany hummed in relief at the familiarity of the pouty lips against hers. Maybe she hadn't completely screwed things up.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again once Santana pulled back.

The Latina smiled and shook her head. She fanned her face and winked at Brittany. The blonde blushed deeply.

"Yeah, well, it's what you do to me," she mumbled, her hands fiddling with the bottom of Santana's hoodie. Well, her hoodie. It looked so much better on Santana anyway. She lifted her gaze and met her love's. "No one's ever made me feel that good," she whispered.

Santana's eyebrows shot up, clearly surprised. Brittany smiled shyly and shrugged. Then Santana's face broke into a big smile and she leaned in for a kiss.

"Wanna cuddle and watch a movie?" Brittany asked when they broke apart.

She received a nod and bit her lip when Santana sat up and pulled her hoodie off. Her shirt rode up and Brittany gulped.

_Old grannies, dead animals – ew – ugh, Puck kissing Finn._

She physically pulled a face at the last mental though, but it curbed her spiked arousal. Thankfully. Santana was just too damn sexy for her own good. And the best part? She had _no_ idea how gorgeous, sexy and alluring she truly was. Brittany smiled to herself as she thought of the many ways that she would eventually be able to show Santana just how beautiful she was.

Brittany scooted back against the pillows and grabbed the remote, pushing a button to lower the TV. Santana was already at her DVD case, picking out a few movies. When she proudly presented her choices to Brittany, the blonde laughed. Animated movies. Perfect.

"Just when I think I can't fall more in love with you, you do something so completely adorable and I'm a total goner," she murmured, picking out _Ice Age 4_.

Santana bit her lip and blushed, spinning cutely on her heel and depositing the other movies in their respective slots. Brittany stood up to pop the DVD in and grabbed some water from her fridge before heading back to bed. There was no pretence this time as the two girls snuggled very closely to each other and waited for the movie to start.

"Love you," Brittany whispered against Santana's hair.

The Latina turned in her arms and kissed her, parting only slightly to silently murmur words against Brittany's lips.

_I love you too._

It made Brittany grin and Santana dropped her head back to its resting place on Brittany's chest. Apparently her boob made an excellent pillow.

Their days slowly wound down as the movie played, their bodies shaking slightly with laughter every now and then. It had been a difficult day, but Brittany was thankful that Santana was still in her arms at the end of everything. And no matter what else they encountered, she wanted every day to end like this.

* * *

**A/N: It may seem that things are progressing unusually quickly, but I'd like to think that this is a serious case of love at first sight. Plus, there are other factors at play. Even if some things don't make sense now, the sequel is going to be from Santana's point of view, where everything will be revealed. Not sure how many more chapters this fic will be, but it won't be as many as my other fics. This one will end just after the winter showcase.**

**Read these: **_**Paperweight**_** by heyho, **_**Freaking Super**_** by LateInLifeTiburon and **_**Welcome To Cincinnati **_**by Mellowslinky. You know, if you want, of course :)**

**Much love for the support, my fellow Gleeks.**

**Onward and up!**

**-H**

**Tumblr, Twitter and Ask – hlnwst**


	9. I see the signs

**A/N: I know it has been forever. And I know that apologies won't be enough. It's my own fault for spreading myself so thin. So I've decided to completely finish each story that I'm currently working on one at a time. More about that at the end, though.**

**Thanks for your inspiring words and support. It really does mean so much. I hope this will be enough to tide you over for a while.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee :(**

* * *

**CHAPTER 9: I see the signs**

She could feel something was different the second she started to wake up. Her eyes flew open, even before they were ready. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear the haziness from her vision. It took her a moment to realise what was wrong.

Santana was gone.

Well, she didn't know if she was _gone_ gone, but she wasn't in bed. Brittany bit her lip and sat up, rubbing her hands over her face hurriedly as she forced her body to wake up. She grabbed her phone to check the time.

_Seven am, Santana? Why are you up so early?_

Shit. What if she'd had another nightmare? The worry was enough to get Brittany vaulting out of bed and hurrying into the bathroom. Empty. She scanned her bedroom, but Santana wasn't anywhere to be found.

_Shit, shit, shit._

She ran out of her bedroom and hesitated on the second floor, breathing a sigh of relief at a familiar sound. She should have known. Feeling decidedly calmer, Brittany headed down to the ground floor and smiled at something she hadn't heard before. Santana was composing. She was composing in _her_ house. It made her giddy with excitement.

She leaned against the half-closed door of the ballroom and just watched the love of her life in her element. Santana was creating something very special, as evident by the smile permanently etched onto her face. She kept stopping at various intervals and nodding to herself, no doubt playing the music over in her head as she filled sheets of music.

Brittany sat down on the floor and leaned against the wall next to the door and continued to watch her. She didn't know how long she'd been on the floor, but Santana suddenly stopped and her head turned to where Brittany was. Their eyes locked and both girls smiled. Brittany couldn't help a flash of what could be their future flying through her mind.

_I'd love to wake up to this every morning. I'd make sure that she had a good morning coffee and hearty breakfast and she could compose the whole day. I'd just sit and watch or maybe get up and dance with her, for her._

She could definitely picture their life in five, ten years' time ending up like that. Brittany pushed herself up off the floor when she saw Santana making her way over to her. They melted into each other, Santana's hands wrapping around Brittany's waist and her face buried into her neck. Brittany kissed her hair and held her tightly to her.

_Could get used to good morning hugs like this too._

"Did you sleep better?" she whispered.

Santana nodded into her neck and Brittany felt lips against her skin, softly puckering and brushing across her collar bone. She shivered. It felt amazing.

"I'm glad. How long have you been up?"

She released one hand from behind Brittany and pointed from her shoulder forward and then held up four fingers.

"Since four? Why didn't you wake me?"

Santana pulled back and smiled up at Brittany. She pointed to her.

_You._

She made the motion of throwing something over her shoulder. Brittany frowned in confusion. Then Santana took both hands and placed them just above her breasts and did a kind of shrug.

_Fuck, this is driving me crazy! I can't even understand the girl of my dreams. It's like some cruel joke._

Santana obviously saw the irritation in her eyes because she lifted her hands to cup Brittany's cheeks and forced her to meet her penetrating gaze.

_You were tired_, she mouthed slowly.

The blonde just nodded in understanding and tried to commit the signs to memory. She _had_ start learning. It was frustrating for her, but it couldn't be any easier for Santana. She was the one doing all the work to try and make Brittany understand her. The least she could do was learn as much sign language as quickly as possible.

"I just got worried," she eventually mumbled, looking down.

Santana ducked her head and coaxed her to lift her eyes up again.

"I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't be frustrated because it affects you too and you've already been so wonderful, teaching me what you can and finding different ways to tell me things, like…"

_Like I love you._

Santana smiled, hearing the unspoken words and leaned up to kiss Brittany sweetly. The blonde held her close and did what she could to show her appreciation for Santana's understanding and patience with her. She pulled away after a few delicious kisses and rested her forehead against Santana's.

"What do you want to do today?"

Santana pulled a face and unwrapped her arms from around Brittany's waist to show her another sign. Brittany paid close attention. First, Santana pinched her fingers together and touched her chin, then touched the side of her mouth. Then she made two fists crossed her right wrist over her left.

Brittany was baffled. Santana simply stood on her tiptoes, kissed her cheek three times and mouthed _homework._

"Homework," Brittany murmured, copying Santana's sign.

The girl in front of her smiled brightly.

"Ok, so how do I say _do you want to go and do homework together_?"

Santana showed her slowly and precisely. Brittany copied it carefully, making sure that she got her finger and hand positions right. Once Brittany was able to ask on her own, albeit a little shakily, Santana nodded enthusiastically, throwing her arms around Brittany's neck and pulling her close for another tight hug.

Brittany breathed in her love's scent and suddenly got an idea about how to make things official between them. She had some work to do, though, and the thought of doing homework with Santana all morning was strangely exciting to her. She generally hated doing homework, but even that sounded pretty awesome if she was doing it with Santana.

_God, I am so whipped._

She grinned to herself and nuzzled her love's neck. Yeah, she was. And she didn't care.

"How about we get some breakfast to take back up to the bedroom?" Brittany murmured against Santana's temple, pressing her lips against the smooth skin.

She felt Santana nod against her lips so she pulled away slightly, giving her a warm smile and linked their fingers together. Their stroll to the kitchen was a relaxed one and Brittany quickly gathered ingredients from the pantry to make some omelettes for them. Santana sat on the island and watched her, a contended smile on her lips as Brittany danced around the kitchen while she cooked.

She started humming and singing spradic lines from _Baby One More Time._ Santana clearly enjoyed the performance and was laughing heartily, clapping along. While the omelettes were finishing up on the stove, Brittany went to stand between Santana's legs and, armed with a wooden spoon as a mic, serenaded her love.

_Oh, baby baby  
The reason I breathe is you  
Girl you've got me blinded  
Oh, baby baby  
There's nothin' that I wouldn't do  
That's not the way I planned it_

Santana smiled lovingly at her and locked her ankles around Brittany's waist, her feet resting comfortably on her ass. Brittany giggled and they swayed together, Santana's arms resting on Brittany's shoulders and her fingers running through long, blonde hair.

Brittany hummed the rest of the song against Santana's lips, their tongues lazily caressing each other. They were forced to stop by the timer from the stove going off. Just as well – Brittany was far too distracted with Santana to even spare their omelettes a thought. The Latina's stomach had other ideas and rumbled appreciatively at the smell of Brittany's breakfast creation. The blonde giggled again and kissed her cheek, which had flamed red.

"You're so cute," she whispered, breaking away from her.

Santana pouted at being away from her, but Brittany just sent her a wink and served their omelettes onto two waiting plates. She returned to Santana and put a plate on either side of her. She cut a piece of omelette, making sure to twist the melted cheese around the fork. She blew on it gently and held it up to Santana. She looked at her with a disbelieving smile and leaned forward, her puffy lips closing around the food. Brittany raised her eyebrows in anticipation of Santana's reaction. The younger girl looked up as though she was contemplating and then wrinkled her nose teasingly. She captured Brittany's lips in a surprising kiss, pulled back and put the joined tips of her fingers to her lips, kissing them away with a flourish.

Brittany laughed and cut herself a piece of the other omelette. She blew on it a little before biting it. She nodded her approval. She did make a mean omelette if she did say so herself. She cut another piece of hers, blew on it and held it up for Santana, who took it without preamble. She'd made two different ones, in case Santana hadn't liked hers, but the young girl's eyes widened as she chewed slowly. Brittany smiled. If Santana could moan, she was pretty sure she'd be doing that.

_I bet it's the sexiest sound in the world._

Nah. Brittany was one hundred percent certain that the sexiest sound in the world would be Santana's voice. As she continued cutting pieces from both omelettes and feeding both of them, her mind wandered back to what had transpired when she'd tried to wake Santana up from her nightmare.

She _knew_ that she hadn't misheard that whimper.

As desperate as she was to know what it meant, she was more adamant about honouring Santana's request to wait until she was ready to tell her.

The younger girl cupped her face and met her eyes with concern. Brittany swallowed, realising that she may have spaced a little. She smiled and leaned in for a kiss.

"Don't worry your pretty head, baby. You said you'd talk to me when you were ready, so I'm going to wait until that time."

Santana looked a little fearful, which made Brittany abandon her utensils and wrap her arms around the girl.

"San, look at me." She eventually did. "I know something happened to you. And I know that you're still dealing with it. And whatever way you've decided to deal with it is _your_ business and yours alone. I love you and I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon. One day, I know, you'll be ready to share with me. Until that day, I will continue to love you and protect you and make you laugh and feel safe. Ok?"

Santana nodded slowly and bit her lip. Brittany pecked it and continued doing so until a smile broke across her face. Brittany grinned and started kissing her all over her face. She only stopped when she felt her love's body shaking from laughing.

"There she is," she said softly, tracing her finger down the side of her face. "My beautiful girl."

Santana's eyes shone and they looked at each other for a few moments before simultaneously leaning in for a series of soft kisses. Santana broke away first and left three very lingering kisses against her cheek before snuggling into the crook of her neck.

Brittany sighed happily. "I love you too, Santana. So very much."

Once they'd been in that position for about fifteen minutes, Brittany begrudgingly suggested that they head back up to the bedroom and get started on their homework. Santana jumped off the counter and ran back to the ballroom to grab her notebook. She met Brittany at the bottom of the stairs and, without warning, jumped onto her back. The blonde squealed in surprise, but grabbed her legs securely and held her close, powering quickly up the stairs to the third floor.

Not surprisingly, they ended up sprawled on the bed, making out until Brittany pulled away with a groan.

"You know I could kiss you forever, but the sooner we get our homework done, the sooner we can get back to it." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, making Santana giggle.

"Ok, beautiful. Let's get nerdy."

They actually managed to go a full half an hour without a 'break'. Initiated by Brittany, naturally. After a five-minute break spent entirely entwined with Santana, they reluctantly got back to their work. Brittany was frowning at math problems and she knew that Santana was watching her, but she just let her. She huffed and scribbled her way through two more problems before ceremoniously pushing her book to the floor. Santana just smiled at her and shook her head.

"What?" Brittany pouted. "Just cos you're a total genius doesn't mean you have to be so damn cute about it. I _hate_ algebra. Letters are for English, not math."

Santana just giggled and leaned over Brittany to pick her book up from the floor. She opened it and found the problem that had been plaguing Britt. She looked between the book and Brittany's illegible problem solving and frowned in confusion.

"See? It's totally confusing!"

Santana arched an eyebrow – _hot_ – and pointed to Brittany's work, shaking her head.

"Ok, Smarty Pants. Show me how, then."

And she did. She pulled Brittany to lay between her legs, her work resting on her propped up thighs. Step by step, without words, Santana made more sense out of algebra than Brittany had ever understood in her life.

"Holy crap," she breathed. She angled her head upwards. "How are you so perfect?"

Santana flushed and bit her lip. Brittany just kissed the underside of her jaw and settled back into her, taking over with the next problem. She got it hopelessly wrong, but Santana was quick to point out where she'd gone wrong.

"I'm hereby employing you as my math tutor," she mumbled, furrowing her eyebrows at the last problem.

Seriously, in what language was _sin, cos _and_ x, y_ and _z _even comprehensible? All in the same damn problem!

"Oh, that's trig," Brittany murmured. "Huh, that would explain a lot."

She'd been studying the wrong section.

* * *

"Ok, how do you say your name?" Brittany asked.

It was nearing noon and the girls had finished their homework and were sitting cross-legged opposite each other on the bed, their knees touching. Santana had been schooling Brittany on signing the alphabet and she was picking it up relatively quickly, thankfully.

Santana lifted her right hand and signed the seven letters that made up her name. Brittany watched closely and mimicked it afterwards, only messing up on the 'n'. She could tell the younger girl was very impressed.

"Ok, let me try this on my own," she said, taking a breath.

She lifted her hand and slowly signed out her own name, earning an excited nod from the girl opposite her, and then signed Santana's name just as successfully. It earned her a dive tackle hug from the girl and she chuckled.

"Hmmm, if this is the reception I get for getting our names right, I think I'm going to have to start studying super hard."

Santana poked her cheek and just kissed her. They traded soft kisses until the familiar sound of footsteps on the second floor landing caused them to break apart. But they didn't let go of each other and it made Brittany smile. She loved how comfortable Santana felt with her family to let them be all giddy and in love. She definitely had no intentions of hiding it.

"Ugh, I knew I should've gone for a cavity check before walking in here," Quinn said dryly, leaning against the doorframe.

"Jealousy makes you nasty!" Brittany sang, earning herself a glare from Quinn and a smart hit on the arm from Santana. "What?" she whined, pouting at her love.

Santana just gave her a knowing look and Brittany sighed. "Sorry, Q," she called. "You caught my bitch on her hourly excursion."

"Yeah, you'd better rein that shit in if you have any hope of keeping that girl on your arm."

"Psssh, this girl right here? I'll count my lucky stars every day she decides to stay on my arm."

Santana smiled brightly at her and Brittany returned it.

"I think I may actually throw up from fluff overload." Quinn's voice was all sarcasm.

"Sure that's not from your hangover?" Brittany bit back, arching an eyebrow at her best friend. She and Santana entwined themselves and lay back on the bed. "Considering your usual MO, I'm impressed that you're vertical."

"Your dad started watching golf. It was making my head hurt more."

Brittany chuckled. Her dad loved his golf. And he was very, very alone in his greener pastures passion. She felt lips against her cheek and then Santana was slipping off the bed. The dancer just smiled and watched her walk into the bathroom, sending her a subtle wink as she pulled the door closed behind her.

"Jesus, you are so completely crazy about her."

Brittany giggled deliriously. "Oh, you have _no_ idea, Q. None. It's magical. And it's amazing." Her friend was quiet for a while so she lifted her head and saw a familiar look. She liked to call it Quinn's contemplative look. She wore it when she wanted to say something but wasn't sure whether or not she should.

"Spit it out, Blondie," Brittany teased with a smile.

"B, I don't think I should."

"Why not?"

"Because you're happy."

Her smile faded. "Is this about Santana?"

Quinn just nodded.

"So tell me."

"I...I don't think she's really mute," Quinn eventually said quietly.

"Yeah, so?"

Hazel eyes went wide. "Wait, you know?"

Brittany shrugged. "I have my suspicions. But it doesn't matter, Q. Santana and I are more than her ability to speak or not. Our connection runs so much deeper than that."

"But...this is essentially her lying to you."

"Maybe that's how you see it. For me, it's about her protecting herself the only way she knows how. When she's ready, she'll let me know what's up."

Quinn stared at her. "Are you seriously just going to let her lie to you for who knows how long until she's ready?"

Brittany narrowed her eyes slightly. "Quinn, listen to me very carefully because I'm only going to say this once. Santana is the love of my life and by some miracle, she loves me back. I would do _anything_ for that girl. And if she needs me to let her not speak, then that is what I will do. You saw her, Q. You saw how scared she was. God, something happened to Santana and it kills me that I wasn't there. I don't even know how long ago it was, but I _do_ know that when she's ready to tell me, it won't make me love her any less. Nothing can."

Quinn just sighed. "I'm just trying to protect you, B."

"Protect me?" Brittany scoffed. "From what? Santana? I can promise you that you don't have to worry about my heart. It's in very capable hands."

"Ok, As long as-"

"Q, how long have we known each other?" Brittany interrupted her, her brow furrowing in frustration.

"Since the second week of freshman year."

"And how many times have I needed you to bail me out of some disaster?"

"Um..."

"Exactly. That's your department. But that's ok because you're my best friend and I love you regardless of your drama. I don't often do things impulsively, unless it's with you. And then it's more us being impulsive than me on my own."

"Impulsive by association?" Quinn asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Something like that, I guess. Basically, I just need my best friend to trust me on this, ok? I love Santana and I plan to spend a great deal of time with her. If you're just going to judge her for dealing with her own problems in her own way the whole time, then maybe I'll have to find a way to divide my time between the two of you. Although," she added quietly, "it would be really awesome if my best friend and the girl I'm in love with could be in the same room and be genuinely friendly."

Quinn sighed. "Jesus, B. Way to fucking lay on the guilt."

She shrugged a shoulder. "I would have thought by now that it would be painfully obvious that this isn't something casual, that this is the real deal and that I'm not going to let her go. At least not without one hell of a fight."

Her friend eventually nodded. "I hear you. I do respect your relationship, B. And I'm happy for you. That's the only reason why I'm worried. I can see how much you love her and I know she loves you. A blind person could see it. I don't want either of you getting hurt because of a secret."

"Thanks, Q. I appreciate your support. She's gonna need both of us this week."

Quinn looked up contemplatively. "Are we really going to Sylvester with this?"

Brittany's eyes darkened in anger immediately. "Hell yes," she growled. "Finn and Puck are _not_ getting away with this. I don't give a continental fuck what they _thought_ happened."

"Cool. I'm with you, B. All the way."

"Thanks, Quinn. That really means a lot."

Quinn sent her a playful wink and Brittany jumped off the bed to tackle her in a bear hug.

"Britt! Your unnatural strength is about to cut off my circulation!"

She giggled and released Quinn. "Sorry."

"You know," Quinn mused, "this whole happy and in love schtick looks pretty good on you."

Brittany felt her cheeks flush red. "Well, it feels pretty damn awesome."

Quinn grinned. "Ok, I'll leave you lovebirds to whatever it is that you were doing or about to do or-"

"Whoa. It wasn't anything like that," Brittany interrupted quickly. "Really, Q. She's teaching me sign language."

"Cool. Well, I'm headed homeward. Best face the dragon now rather than later." She pulled a face and Brittany chuckled. "See you on the morrow!"

"Bye!" Brittany called, giggling at her best friend's dramatic relationship with her mother. Harriet Fabray was, for lack of a better term, the person who gave birth to her and nothing more. Quinn had been left to nannies and as soon as she'd been able to fend for herself, she set foot in her house to sleep and occasionally eat. She generally spent her time with Brittany or, in previous years, with Rachel.

The dancer chewed on her bottom lip as she contemplated her relationship with her sister. One thing that really baffled her was how brainwashed she seemed to be around Finn. The Rachel that she knew, that had grown up in the same house as her, would never have brushed off what Finn had done to Santana so easily. She would have listened to everyone's side of the story before formulating her own opinion. Her open-mindedness had really helped Brittany realise and accept her attraction to both boys and girls. How she'd treated Quinn, though…

She sighed. Rachel Berry, the sister she loved so fiercely, was definitely not the same Rachel Berry, fiancée to one Finn Hudson. It made her sad. She missed her sister. She wanted to tell her about Santana, about how she finally knew what people meant when they talked about love. Like, real, true, forever kind of love. She wanted to share that with her because Rachel was a hopeless romantic and Brittany knew that she'd be really happy for her.

But thanks to whatever spell Finn had her under, she wouldn't let Santana within twenty feet of her. Her jaw clenched as the thought about the meeting she was going to be having the next day. Knowing that Puckerman was just next door really tested her patience and she had to force herself to stay on her bed. Her fists clenched tightly.

_Santana can't know how close he is. She feels safe here and if she knew he was next door, that could be ruined. And I won't ruin that for her. Not because of him._

She closed her eyes when she heard the bathroom door open. Santana would know immediately if she didn't calm herself down quickly. Too late, though. A warm hand against her cheek coaxed her eyes open and Santana's beautiful brown orbs were flitting across her face in concern. She glanced back to the door and Brittany saw the frown on her face.

'Oh, no, it wasn't Quinn," she said softly.

Santana raised her eyebrow as if to say, _Well?_

Brittany sighed, inwardly wrestling with how much of her thought s Santana should hear. She wasn't trying to coddle her or act like she didn't think Santana could handle what she was thinking or wanting to do.

Mostly, she didn't want to break the happy bubble they'd been in.

Why did reality have to be such a fucking pain in the ass?

Santana shifted so that she was straddling Brittany's thighs and she cupped the dancer's face in her soft hands. Their eyes met and Brittany nodded subtly. Her arms went around Santana's waist and pulled her towards her. Her face was meshed against Santana's chest, but she needed the comfort of her love's embrace. The younger girl obviously sensed Brittany's need and wrapped one arm around her back, the other playing gently with blonde hair.

_I wish we could stay here forever._

It definitely wasn't the first time she'd had that thought and she doubted that it would be the last. Her eyes snapped open and she pulled away gently. She brought her right hand in between them and stiffened her four fingers, touching her index finger to her lips. Santana nodded, her eyes shining warmly. Brittany's heart rate increased as she brought her hand against her chest. She could feel the heat emanating from her hand through her shirt.

_Shit, I've never been so nervous in my life._

With a shaking hand, she held Santana's gaze as she lifted her right hand and brushed her thumb along her jaw line twice. Brown eyes widened in realisation and dropped to Brittany two fingers interlocking with each other.

_Oh, wow. Oh, shit. I've never said those words to anyone before, and the first time I do, I don't even actually speak them._

She'd never have guessed that one day she would be asking the girl of her dreams to be her girlfriend in sign language, but she'd sneakily checked the correct way to ask on her phone earlier. She'd wanted to surprise her and she'd clearly done that. Santana was still staring at her hands.

She hadn't answered.

Brittany felt her throat constrict.

_Fuck, what if that was too soon? Did I just ruin everything? Oh, shit, shit, shit!_

She wanted to get up, to get away, to hide away in embarrassment, but Santana was still on top of her and she couldn't just like, uproot her or whatever. Her hands dropped into her lap and she stared at them intently, trying not to let the silence echo in her head. Not that she was having much luck.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid._

She hated how much she felt like crying. Rejection wasn't something she was familiar with at all and she'd never thought that she'd ever be stupid enough to do something that would risk rejection from Santana. Yet, there she sat, looking like the biggest idiot because she'd listened to her heart instead of her head.

_Because you've only been listening to your head the whole weekend, right?_

Yeah, ok, so she'd been neglecting logic a little, allowing herself to be wrapped up snugly in her Santana bubble. Who wouldn't want that, though?

She felt Santana's hands move from behind her and creep down to her own that were clenched tightly in her lap. Her eyes widened in alarm when she felt Santana's hand tremble as she unclenched Brittany's fists. She didn't put up a fight. The younger girl lifted their hands between them again and she manipulated Brittany's hands so that her left one was open, palm facing her right and the four fingers on her right were stiff together.

At the same time, their eyes met and Brittany breathed in sharply at the overwhelming emotion swirling in the mysterious dark eyes. Without lowering her gaze, Santana moved Brittany's right hand towards her left so that the tips of her fingers hit the inside of her hand.

She didn't know the sign, but having Santana sign with her, for her, was such an intense experience that she just allowed herself to get lost in the sensation. Santana squeezed her hands gently and the blonde nodded, focusing on the sign. It seemed familiar. She'd seen it before. Had Santana used it? Yes! On Thursday night, at _Charlie's_! When Santana had been showing her various signs, she'd used that sign before doing something again.

Again!

Santana wanted her to sign it again. She swallowed, her nerves suddenly multiplying in intensity. She lifted her right hand to her lips and Santana's hand followed, her fingers brushing across the back of her hand as it met her lips. Their eyes never left each other as Brittany repeated her question. The second time, though, was a completely different experience. Having Santana's hands follow hers, trace over hers as she signed, made the actual asking so much more intimate, like if she could whisper it into Brittany's ear. That was how it felt.

When Brittany interlocked her index fingers for the second time, Santana completely covered them and brought them to her lips, kissing Brittany's finger so very gently. She smiled down at the blonde who, at that moment, was trying really hard to not get her hopes up because Santana still hadn't said yes. Or anything, for that matter.

"San, you're kinda killing me here," she croaked eventually, after moments of silent staring.

The brunette leaned down and kissed her cheek three times before nuzzling her nose against her, nodding furiously.

"Oh, thank God," Brittany breathed, immediately hugging Santana's waist and keeping her close. She inhaled the scent that would only ever be described as pure Santana and smiled against her shoulder.

Santana Lopez was her girlfriend.

* * *

The sun was setting over Lima as Brittany drove her car very slowly down the road that led to Santana's street. Shelby had called about an hour before and suggested – without much room for disagreement – that Santana make her way back home. The mood had become a sombre pretty quickly. Brittany and Santana had spent most of the time left to them just snuggling on the bed, no space between them. Even when they'd begrudgingly made their way downstairs, Santana had refused to let go of Brittany's hand.

The blonde couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so sad. She didn't want Santana to go; it was even more painfully obvious that Santana didn't want to go either. She hated that they had to still adhere to the adult in their life. Normally, her mom was pretty easy going, but told her very firmly that Santana's aunts were expecting her back that evening and that it was disrespectful to ignore the wishes of the women legally responsible for her.

Brittany, of course, stomped her foot and glared at her mother, but did as she was told nonetheless.

"One day, we won't have to know what this feels like," she said softly, glancing over at Santana, who was focused on fusing their hands together as tightly as possible. "We'll be living together and we'll get to see each other all the time and go to bed together and wake up together."

It was the first thing she'd said out loud about a future for them together. The smile on Santana's face eased any worries that momentarily sprang into her mind. The happiness she felt knowing that Santana wanted that kind of future with her made the separation that they were going to soon experience a little less sorrowful.

She sighed as she pulled up outside Santana's house. Movement of curtains in the living room was the final pin that popped her bubble. She turned to Santana and held both her hands with both of hers.

"I'll be here tomorrow morning, ok? You just let me know when you want me here."

Santana pouted and Brittany leaned across to kiss her gently. "I don't want to be gone from you either, but it is unfortunately something that we're going to have to get used to because as welcome as you are at my house anytime, for no matter how long, I think your aunts will miss you. Just like I'm going to miss you when you're not in arms reach."

Santana nodded sadly and Brittany hated that she was right.

"Maybe we can work out a schedule or something. Like maybe you can stay over at my house on the weekends or something?"

Santana nodded and signed that she'd talk to them. She did it slowly and Brittany was grateful. Her grasp of sign language was getting steadily better the more she did it.

"Text me, ok?"

Santana reached for her and Brittany eagerly reciprocated the passionate kiss. They were both breathing heavily when they broke apart. Brittany leaned her head against Santana's,

"I love you, Santana."

She smiled softly and signed it back, punctuated with three kisses to her lips.

"We should go," Brittany whispered, trying to hold onto the last of their time together desperately.

Santana's shoulders slumped and she pulled away, grabbing her school bag at her feet and opening the door. Brittany opened hers too and waited for Santana to join her on the sidewalk. Their hands automatically found each other and Santana rested her head against Brittany's shoulder. As they walked, Brittany pressed soft kisses to her forehead, trying to convey what she was feeling. They stepped up onto the porch and Santana stopped. Brittany looked down at her and smiled at the defiant look on her face as she glared at the door.

"You have me, beautiful girl. You have me for as long as you want me. I'm not going anywhere. Even if you can't see me, I'll be with you." She let her fingers dance across Santana's heart. "I'll always be there. For as long as you want me there."

Santana just lifted her hand and with her index finger pointing up, made two circles between them. Brittany grinned. She knew what that meant.

"Always," she whispered in agreement, leaning down for a kiss.

The younger girl held her close as they traded soft kisses, simply massaging each other's lips. Brittany broke their lip lock and trailed kisses across her jaw and down her neck until her face was buried there. Arms were tightly wrapped around each other as they drank as much of each other in as they could.

They broke away when the front door opened. Brittany glanced up and saw Shelby eyeing her suspiciously. The blonde was pretty sure that she'd seen them kissing, so she was probably wondering about the developments between them.

Shelby signed something too quick for Brittany to catch and Santana huffed. She turned back to Brittany and stood on her tiptoes to kiss her kiss three times, lingering on the third one. It made the dancer smile. Santana pulled away and Brittany sent her a little wave. The smile she received was enough to tide her over. She knew Santana loved her. She felt it in everything the girl did. She was willing to do whatever she needed to ensure that they had their future. The future where they didn't have to say goodbye.

* * *

_I'm definitely going to need some coffee._

She blinked her eyes rapidly to try stop herself from falling asleep behind the wheel. She was on her way to fetch Santana on Monday morning. Needless to say, she hadn't had much sleep the night before. Everything just felt wrong. Holding her cushions and pretending they were Santana just didn't work. Listening to her music just made her miss her more. She could already feel herself relaxing a little more with every corner she turned that took her closer to her love.

A smile crept onto her face unknowingly as she turned onto Santana's street. It had been a little over twelve hours since they'd seen each other and Brittany was itching to touch her, just to remind herself (not that she could ever forget) that Santana was _hers_.

She was her girlfriend.

And so, so much more.

She parked her car against the curb and opened the door, her heart fluttering as she glanced up at Santana's bedroom. She saw the curtains move and started walking up to the door.

"Santana!" she heard from inside the house. It sounded like Shelby.

Brittany curiously stared at the door as she approached the porch. It flew open and she grinned as her girlfriend ran outside and jumped into her arms.

_This is how it's supposed to feel._

She inhaled Santana's scent deeply and hummed in delight as she held her close. Everything that had felt wrong the moment she'd driven away the night before seemed right again.

"I missed you," she said into Santana's neck.

The brunette pulled back and kissed her all over her face. Brittany giggled and spun her around a little. Their eyes finally met.

"Good morning, beautiful girl."

Santana traced her finger down Brittany's cheek and her face shone with happiness. They simultaneously came together for the sweetest good morning kiss that Brittany had ever received.

"Santana!" a voice said sharply.

Brittany pulled away, but Santana didn't let her go, just buried her head into Brittany's neck. The blonde glanced at her girlfriend's aunt, who was standing on the porch with her hands on her hips. She didn't look happy.

"Baby, I'll wait here for you. It's ok," she murmured against Santana's hair.

Santana dropped to the ground and kissed her cheek before turning and signing something that, judging from the look on Shelby's face, was probably not very nice. The older woman gave the blonde a reproachful look and turned inside, closing the door after Santana had stormed in.

"Oh, boy," Brittany murmured. "I think that getting the aunts' permission may be a little difficult."

She blinked in surprise. That was the first time that marriage had even popped into her head – ever. Of course, she loved the idea of maybe, one day, being able to call Santana her wife. She got giddy butterflies in her tummy at the thought, mentally preparing everything in her head – how she'd look, which flowers they'd use, the music they'd dance to (no question there!), how Quinn would bitch and moan about having to wear a nice dress, and Santana…

She would look absolutely breathtaking with a flower in her hair, perhaps a white one to contrast her striking dark locks. Brittany was sure she'd be rendered speechless. She grinned widely and closed her eyes.

_One day._

Her excitement couldn't be contained as she broke out in dance, in their dance. Her feet flew over the lush grass in front of Santana's house effortlessly, a mile on her face the entire time.

She wasn't sure how long she lost herself in dancing, but she spun to a sudden stop when she felt a familiar gaze on her. She met Santana's eyes with a grin. The younger girl was sitting on the stairs leading up to the patio, just watching her.

Brittany held out a hand. "Come dance with me."

Santana stood up, discarding her school bag next to her and laced their fingers together. Brittany pulled her close, leaning their foreheads against each other and led them in a slow waltz, humming her favourite piece of Santana's compositions.

Santana's hand roamed from Brittany's back to her neck, through her hair and back down to her neck. It felt like heaven.

"Everything's perfect when you're in my arms," Brittany whispered.

Santana smiled and kissed her softly. Brittany heard muttering from the porch, but chose to ignore it. If Shelby had a problem with her, then she could come right out and tell her.

Apparently, that was what she planned to do because a few seconds later, someone was clearing their throat right next to them.

Brittany broke the kiss and smiled politely at Santana's aunt who had the most distrustful look in her eyes that Brittany had ever seen. And her best friend was Quinn Fabray.

"San, don't forget your bag, sweetie!"

Both Brittany and Santana smiled genuinely at the appearance of Holly. She handed the young girl her bag and Santana released Brittany long enough to sling it over her shoulder. Their hands immediately tangled thereafter, though.

"Hi, Holly, Shelby," Brittany greeted. "I hope you guys had a restful weekend."

"Positively spa-like," Holly replied enthusiastically. "I gotta say, Britt, I could get used to you taking this fireball off our hands every now and then."

Santana playfully hit her arm and Brittany grinned. "Holly, my door is always open for Santana."

"Does it stay open?" Shelby said with bite.

Brittany frowned and felt Santana's grip on her hand get tighter. "Excuse me?"

"Does your day stay open when you're up in your bedroom _alone_ with my niece?"

"Um, no-"

"And you consider this to be responsible behaviour? I'm supposed to trust you when your parents-"

"Hold on," Brittany interrupted her. "I'll say this once more, Shelby. With all due respect, you don't know me and you sure as hell don't know my parents. You have no right to pass any judgement on them. I get that you worry about Santana. I do too. My number one priority will always be her safety and happiness. I'm sure that she's told you that she felt both those things with me this weekend."

In her peripheral vision she saw Santana nodding furiously.

"I love Santana. Yes, we've only known each other a short while, but you should know that I have never felt this way about anyone before in my life, and I'm pretty sure that I never will again. Santana is fully aware of the extent of my feelings for her, and before you jump to conclusions, Shelby, I haven't done _anything_ to make her feel pressured or uncomfortable. I…I could never do that to her."

"I told you," Holly hissed to Shelby. "You need to trust Santana. She's not a child."

Shelby turned to glare at her partner before spinning on her heel and stalking to the driveway. The other three watched as she got in her car, slammed the door and reversed loudly.

Holly sighed. "Just ignore her," she told Brittany. "She's overly concerned about Santana, but I know that we don't have to worry about her when she's with you."

Brittany smiled. "Thank you, Holly. That means a lot."

"No worries. I've gotta run. See you later, love bugs!"

The dancer chuckled and turned to her girlfriend. "Well, I don't know about you, but I am in some dire need of coffee."

Santana nodded enthusiastically and pulled Brittany towards the car. The ride to _Charlie's_ was spent with Brittany singing along to the radio and both of them dancing in their seats. She loved how at ease Santana was around her in just the space of a few days. She remembered how shy they'd been on Friday. Had it really only been three days? Brittany felt like it been so much longer. But on the other hand, if three days had felt like a lot longer, then forever with Santana was going to be pretty damn amazing.

She was still humming as she pulled into her usual spot. She told Santana to wait before she jumped out and ran around, gallantly opening the door for her love.

Santana rolled her eyes, but took the offered hand and gave Brittany a kiss on the cheek. It made her beam.

Seriously, being in love was the best feeling in the world.

"Morning, Charlie!" she called, pushing open the door.

"Brittany!" Charlie replied with a grin. "And Santana, right?"

The brunette nodded and smiled.

"Two coffees, if you please, my good sir," Brittany ordered dramatically, guiding Santana towards their booth.

"Coming right up, fair maiden!"

Santana sat down and pulled Brittany down next to her, snuggling into her. The dancer let her, smiling happily.

"How did you sleep?" she asked softly, linking their fingers together over and over.

Santana just shook her head, burying face against her shoulder.

"I know. Me neither." She paused. "Is Shelby…like that because of me or because I'm with you?"

The younger girl lifted her head and looked at her in confusion.

"Like, is she all pissy and whatever because you wanted to spend the weekend with me or because it was _me_ you spent the weekend with?"

Santana furrowed her brow and shook her head. She pulled out her phone and Brittany busied herself playing with Santana's hair until she'd finished her message.

_She's just protective. If she has a problem with you, then I have no idea why. She knows that you treat me the best I've ever been treated and that you make me feel wonderful. Don't pay any attention to her. I'm happy with you and if she can't see how obvious that is, then that's her own issue. Don't worry about it :)_

Brittany smiled and kissed Santana's cheek.

"You're pretty damn amazing, you know that, Santana Lopez?"

The young girl ducked her head into Brittany's neck and they stayed like that until one of the waitresses brought their coffee.

"Thanks, Nicki," Brittany said with a smile.

Nicki winked at her and Santana and went to the next table. Brittany added sugar for her girlfriend and handed the coffee to her.

"Careful, the cup's quite hot," she warned.

Santana just smiled and kissed her cheek. They stayed close to each other and drank their coffee in an easy and comfortable silence. Once Brittany had drained the last of her mocca, she took Santana's hand. The younger girl saw the pensive look on her face and gave her full attention.

"I'm going to take you to your classes. I'd like you to wait for me until I get there. I don't want it to seem like I'm babying you, but please let me do this for today."

Santana just nodded, a little of the fear that Brittany had seen on Friday creeping back into her eyes. She held her girlfriend's hands tightly.

"I _promise_ you that I will not let anything happen to you. Do you…" She licked her lips. "Do you want to come to the meeting that we're going to have with Ms. Sylvester today?"

Santana nibbled on her bottom lip as she contemplated her decision. Eventually, she met Brittany's eyes and the dancer smiled at the determination. She nodded.

"Ok, we'll meet up with Quinn as soon as we get to school and head to Will's office. So you might miss French, Would that be ok?"

Santana nodded.

"Ok," Brittany echoed silently. "I'm gonna make this right."

Santana showed her a message.

_This can never be right. I love you for trying, but it'll never be right because it happened._

She sighed in frustration. Santana was right. It didn't make it any easier to deal with, though. She felt her anger spiking and a phone was pressed into her hand and she felt lips brushing the skin of her neck softly.

_I know you're mad, but you have to try and remain calm. I need you to be calm because if you're angry, then I'm going to be worried. I don't want you to risk your own education for me._

Brittany opened her mouth to protest, but Santana put her hand over her mouth.

_Promise me_, she mouthed.

The blonde nodded slowly and the hand fell away from her mouth. "It's going to be hard, but I'll try for you."

Santana leaned in and kissed her sweetly. Brittany slid out of the booth and held out her hand for her girlfriend to take. They quietly made their way to the front where Brittany paid for their coffee and with a goodbye to Charlie, headed back out to Brittany's car. The drive to school was a lot more subdued than the drive to _Charlie's._

Brittany knew that Santana was apprehensive about seeing her attackers, about being back in the place where she was attacked, and about the outcome of their meeting. She was too, but she'd promised her love that she was going to be calm and not let Puck and Finn work her up.

They passed Santana's car that was still in the lot from Thursday night. She couldn't help but smile a little. Santana nudged her when she saw the smile, her eyes curious.

"Your car's still here," she said, indicating with her head.

Santana rolled her eyes and smiled as well. She found Brittany's hand and laced their fingers together. The blonde pulled into her usual spot and saw Quinn's car parked next to hers. She cut the engine and for a few moments, they just sat in the car, holding hands and smiling softly at each other.

Eventually, Brittany checked the clock on her dashboard and suggested that they get going. She grabbed her bag, opened her door and stepped out. She met Santana on the other side of the car and smiled encouragingly at her. Their fingers found each other and Santana pulled her close, just resting her forehead against Brittany's shoulder. The dancer let her other arm wrap around Santana's waist.

"Come on, beautiful. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can start focusing on the important things."

Santana looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"Like the winter showcase," Brittany replied with a smile. "I have a feeling you and I are going to make some serious musical history."

Santana smiled back and reached up to place a kiss on her cheek. She took a deep breath and turned to face the school. Brittany was right next to her and they headed towards the big double doors.

Quinn was waiting next to the entrance.

"Hey," she greeted.

"Hi," Brittany greeted, giving her a one-armed hug, her other hand still firmly locked with Santana's.

"Hey, Santana," Quinn greeted the younger girl.

She offered a wave in return.

"We ready for this?" the singer asked her best friend. "I saw Rachel arrive with Finn."

Brittany shook her head. "I can't actually believe that she's siding with him."

"Whatever, Britt. Clearly the Rachel we used to know doesn't exist anymore," Quinn said bitterly.

Brittany just hummed and looked down at her girlfriend. "You ok?" she asked, squeezing her hand.

Santana lifted her eyebrows and shrugged.

"It's now or never," Brittany muttered. "Where's Sylvester?"

"Usual."

The dancer pulled a face. "Fine. Let's wait outside until she's done."

They headed for the orchestra's practice rooms and waited outside Ms. Sylvester's office. Right on time, the door flew open and the conductor appeared, woman's magazine in hand.

"What is this, buy one blonde get one free day?" she frowned. "What do you three want?"

"We need your help," Brittany began. She glanced down at Santana, who just nodded and squeezed her hand. "Um, I know that you have the same zero tolerance stance on bullying as I do. We have a serious problem that we need to report and we think that you're the best person to talk to because you won't take it as lightly as others might."

Sue nodded immediately. "In my office, you three. Let's chat."

Once they were settled, Brittany continued her story, but not before checking once again that Santana was fine with her repeating what had happened. The brunette was visibly nervous, but her eyes had a determined gleam to them. Brittany told the as briefly as possible, making sure that she was clear on the facts, and most especially, that she was clear on how terrified Santana had been.

Sue's face was blank during the entire story. When Brittany had finished, she was shaking slightly from containing her rage. Santana could feel it and placed her other hand over their joined ones to show her appreciation of her girlfriend's restraint.

"I believe that I saw our perpetrators in Will's office this morning with your sister, Pierce, and someone that I can only assume is a lawyer."

"I bet they're trying to pay Schuester off before we can make a case."

"Oh, don't you worry your talented little heads, girls. This will definitely _not_ be swept under the rug. Santana," she said, leaning forward, "is there someone that you'd like to call to speak for you should it be necessary?"

Santana looked to Brittany, who shrugged helplessly. She wished that she knew enough sign language to be Santana's voice.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Santana just squeezed her hand and shook her head. She smiled a small smile before turning back to Sue and nodding firmly. She reached into her bag and pulled out what looked like a business card and handed it to Sue. Presumably Shelby's.

"You know this Shelby?" Sue asked Brittany.

"Uh, yeah. She's Santana's aunt."

"Great. We should get her on the phone now."

"Now? Why?" Quinn asked.

"I'm not about to give those thugs any chance to weasel their way out of exactly what they deserve for this. In order for that to happen, Santana needs to give a sworn statement. Given that her legal guardian happens to be a lawyer, helps a lot."

Shelby was a lawyer?

"Ok," Brittany said. She turned to Santana. "Do you want me to call her?"

Santana lifted her eyebrows in surprise and a smile broke onto her face as she handed Brittany her phone. The blonde took a breath and found Shelby's number under contacts. She started the call and shakily put the phone to her ear.

"Santana? Aren't you at school?" came Shelby's greeting.

_Geez, not even a hello._

"Um, Shelby, this is Brittany."

"Brittany? Why are you calling me on Santana's phone? Did something happen to her? Did you do something?"

The dancer grit her teeth as a spike of anger threatened to overwhelm her. "No, nothing happened to Santana. This is about the…incident on Friday. We were wondering-"

"We? Who's we? Who are you with?"

Sue snapped her fingers and Brittany gratefully handed over the phone.

"Shelby? Name's Sue Sylvester. You need to come down to the school. No, nothing's wrong, per se. I'll explain everything when you get here." She paused as Shelby said something. "I assure you that she's perfectly fine. You don't need to worry about your niece when she's with Brittany."

The dancer smiled at that. It seemed that Shelby was the only person on the planet that didn't believe that she would never do anything to hurt Santana and that they were good for each other.

"Great. See you in twenty minutes." She ended the call and handed the phone back to Santana. She was quiet as she thought.

"What's the plan?" Quinn asked.

"As you know, my policy about this kind of behaviour is absolute. I have no leeway. Besides the underlying cruelty of what they did, these are supposed to be two of our supposed leading men at this school. If they're allowed to get away with anything less than expulsion, that's not sending out a good message to the rest of the student body."

"Expulsion?" Brittany repeated.

Sue nodded. "You disagree?"

"No, not at all. That was what I was hoping for. I just thought it may have been a bit of wishful thinking."

"Ms. Sylvester, can you go against Will's judgement if he has decided something else?" Quinn asked.

"That's the beauty of having a board, Fabray," Sue replied. "And lucky for you, I happen to be head of that board. So yes, I can overrule him. If it comes to it, I can call a meeting of the board members and have them vote, but this is something that we've agreed on from the beginning. Bullying is completely out of control and we need to start hitting any form as hard as we can if we have any hope of eliminating it."

Santana signed thank you and Sue smiled.

"Yeah, thank you, Ms. Sylvester," Brittan echoed. "I really can't tell you how glad I am to have you in our corner."

"Funny thing about corners, Pierce," Sue said, standing up. "They don't give you any room to escape. But I am on your side."

* * *

The three girls were sitting outside the office while Sue, Shelby, Puck, Finn and Puck's lawyer were inside Will's office.

"Brittany!"

The dancer looked up and groaned to herself at the sight of her sister speed walking down the hall towards them.

"I'll deal with this," Quinn muttered, standing up.

"Quinn, no-" Brittany protested.

"Back up, Berry," the singer interrupted, stopping Rachel with a shove on her shoulder. "You are so not welcome here."

"Quinn, let me go. I want to talk to Brittany."

"Did I stutter? You're not welcome here. So backpedal your ass out those doors. You can wait for your dog outside."

"I just…I want to apologise!"

"Apologise?" Brittany asked, standing up. "For what? For saying one big fuck you to your family? For turning your back on me and Quinn? For siding with the lowest form of human scum?"

"Um, yes?" Rachel replied timidly.

"A simple sorry is not even close to what you need to do to get back in my good graces," Brittany muttered. "You heard Quinn, Rachel. You're not welcome here."

"I…" Rachel stumbled for words as her eyes filled with tears.

Santana tapped Brittany's hand and she looked down at her girlfriend. Santana inclined her head to Rachel and looked at her expectantly.

"San, I can't," she whispered. "I just…I can't. Not after what she did and said."

Santana quickly pulled out her phone and Brittany dropped her head into her hands. Her girlfriend nudged her and she lifted her head to take the outstretched phone.

_Take it from me, life is too short to not make amends when there's still time. She wants to apologise to you. Let her. Please?_

Brittany sighed, handed Santana her phone back and kissed her temple.

"You're lucky I love you so much," she whispered, standing up and putting a hand on Quinn's shoulder.

Her best friend stepped back. "I hope you know what you're doing, B."

"Me too," Brittany replied, glancing at Rachel and heading over to the nearby stairs. She sat on the second one and waited for her sister to join her. "Let me ask you one thing, Rachel," the dancer said once they were both seated. "Are you still with Finn?"

"No," she whispered.

"Why?"

"Because he never denied doing it. When I first found out, I refused to believe that he could be capable of something like that. But he just kept saying sorry and that Puck made him do it. It made me realise that he wasn't who I thought he was. You were right." She shifted her eyes to where Quinn was sitting with Santana. "You and Quinn were both right. I lost her because of a stupid decision and I almost lost you too because of another one."

"Figured out the common denominator, did you?"

"Finn?"

"No, you, dumbass."

Rachel sighed. "Yeah, I guess. I spoke to Mom this morning. She said that I could move back, but that I had to talk to you first."

Brittany nodded. "You realised your mistake and you're trying to make it right. I can respect that. I'd like you to move back. But, Rach, you need to do something for me."

"Anything."

"You need to make things right with Quinn. I don't approve of how you treated her. I've never actually told you that, but I was so disappointed in you when you chose Finn."

Rachel dropped her head. "Can I be honest?"

"I'd prefer it."

"My feelings for Quinn scared the shit out of me. Anything I felt for Finn pales in comparison. She was unpredictable, completely crazy and I was head over heels for her. I…I pictured out future, Britt." She stared into her sister's eyes earnestly. "I pictured everything with her. _Everything_. And I got so scared. She's so unpredictable and I know that she had – has – the power to completely ruin me."

Brittany looked at Santana, a small smile crossing her face.

"I know the feeling. But Rach, you can't control everything, least of all love. Especially true love. You've just got to let it happen and trust that the power of what you feel will be enough to get you through any tough times."

Rachel followed her gaze. "Um, you are talking about Santana, right?"

Brittany snapped her gaze back to her sister and frowned. "Who the fuck else would I be talking about? Quinn?"

Rachel lifted an unsure shoulder.

"Oh, God. Rachel, that was over before summer. Besides, I knew that she wanted to give things a real try with you. Of course, we didn't expect you to be a complete bitch and choose Gigantor over her."

"I get it, Britt," she mumbled.

"No, you really, really don't. You broke her, Rachel. You know how you said you were scared? Think about how terrified she was. She's never had a relationship other than whatever we had. And ours is more a friendship anyway. She's never had any kind of lasting commitment to someone. Until you. She decided that you were worth the risk and that took more courage than you and I could ever have combined."

"Shit."

"Shit indeed. You need to fix it."

"I don't know how to."

"Well, you'd better find a way." She saw Sue heading for the door and stood up.

The conductor opened the glass door and poked her head out. "We've reached a decision, girls. Come on in."

* * *

**A/N: I'm really sorry that I haven't been responding to reviews like I normally do. My life seems to be settling a little more now so hopefully I'll be better on that front.**

**Hope you guys enjoyed :)**

**So, about what I mentioned at the beginning – I'm going to finish **_**A Different Life**_** before updating this again. I feel like I'm spreading myself too thin and it's not fair for you guys to wait so long between updates (as a reader, I know how frustrating it is). I'll keep everyone updated via my Tumblr account (that's where most of my fanfic stuff happens).**

**Until next time! Onwards and up!**

**-H**

**Tumblr, Twitter and Ask – hlnwst**


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